Holding On
by general wildcat
Summary: All these years he couldn't let go of her. Even if she wasn't there, he didn't want to let her go. But what she didn't know what that she never wanted to let him go. It's a C&T thing. Not the best summary. Chapter Eighteen is up! Complete.
1. Regrets

Ok, my first story now. If the summary stinks here's a quick one to see if it helps at all. _They had no contact in three years. They had something going and she pushed it away, never wanting to see any of it again. So what happens when they see each other again and are living completely different lives? One is trying to make it to the top and the other is just trying to get through. But one of them has so much more to lose than they think._ Not sure if that helps at all, but you'll see as the story goes along. Anyway, this is the first chapter of it and I hope to have the second one up soon. The story seems slow now, but it's gonna pick up.

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"It's official. The votes are in!" a female voice called as she stepped into the condo, waving a newspaper in her hand. She closed the door behind her and stepped in, her flats clicking against the tiled floor. The woman's hair appeared to be a dark shade of brown, which was slightly curled to a length below her shoulders. A casual purple blouse rested on her body as ell as a pair of black leggings. She scanned the room, waiting for her friend's response. "Taylor, did you hear me?"

"I'm coming Gabriella, I'm coming!" the voice replied. She left the study and adjourned into the living room. Her skin was much darker than Gabriella's and her black hair rested down to her neck, though it resembled a bit of waviness. She looked like a real professional, with her dark grey dress suit and small high heels. "What results?" she asked as she walked over to her friend.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Don't be so modest." She teased. "Just read for yourself. All of the positions for politics in New Mexico are officially down to the wire!" Alright, so maybe her words had been jumbled a bit, but how could she help herself? Gabriella was so excited for her friend.

Taylor quirked an eyebrow before taking the newspaper. Her brown eyes scanned the heading on the page. She smiled proudly. "…And the second candidate running for governor of New Mexico is Taylor McKessie." She finished.

Gabriella cheered and clapped her hands together. "This is what you've been waiting for!"

Taylor couldn't even hide her excitement, despite the cool and calm person that she was. "I know! If I become governor of New Mexico, it's just one step away from becoming president of the United States!"

The two friends hugged as they jumped up and down. So the past few years had been a little slow. Almost five years ago Gabriella Montez had become Gabriella Bolton. So of course after the wedding between her and Troy Bolton things had calmed down for a while. Troy and Gabriella had been high school sweethearts but were on again off again at college due to their piles of work and such; and it was nearly a year after college that Troy and 'plopped the question', as his friends put it, to Gabriella. At the time she was making sure she had a permanent job and Troy was merely working full time at a mini golf course until a deal broke through. Now they were happily together with their three-year-old son Jamie. Troy was a successful sports announcer at a local station, and Gabriella jumped between being a housewife and an advisor to the Science department at the community college. Hey, someone had to help take care of their son and it wasn't going to be a babysitter or someone all the time. They had their own house, a nice quaint one to be precise, and they coincidentally didn't live too far from their friend's condo.

Yes, the condo belonged to Taylor McKessie. She'd been living there for the past three years as she first began her preparations to run for New Mexico state governor. Her original plans had been much different from that; at one point she felt as much like Gabriella, thinking she had everything she could ever want. A nice small house, a chance to settle down, and a great guy by her side. But Taylor wasn't one to dread along in the past. Not anymore. As far as she was concerned, she put the past behind her. There was no one special waiting for her and she wasn't looking for anyone. Her job was more important than anything else. If anyone asked Taylor why she suddenly jumped to run for governor when everything was about to settle down her response would be simple and well-rehearsed: "I was going in the wrong direction. I've known what I wanted to do my whole life and I'm not going to let anyone change my mind. Nothing is more important than my future and my future is making New Mexico a better place to live." Granted, she did have a part-time job as a secretary, but as far as she was concerned it was only temporary until she was voted governor.

"Maybe not the next presidential election, but certainly by the one after that you'll be ready to run." Gabriella supported her friend. "Just don't forget anyone when you move to D.C."

Taylor giggled. "Please, like I'd really forget my best friend and my godson. Or your lesser half." Of course, by her 'lesser half', Taylor was referring to Troy. She knew that when it came to Troy's and Gabriella's relationship no one held more authority than the other, but that didn't mean she couldn't joke around about it. And she was usually there to help Gabriella raise Jamie when needed, and was named his godmother.

"Oh I know." Gabriella playfully rolled her eyes. "But it is lonely at the top if you have no one to share it with."

Taylor rolled her eyes and tried to hold in a moan in respect to Gabriella. "Gabriella do we have to keep going through this?"

"I'm just saying, if you look at American history, the chances are that you'll read about a president who lived in the White House without any family are slim to none." She replied.

"As far as I'm concerned, I do have a family." Taylor corrected. "I've got my parents and my older sister. If they want to move to Washington D.C. with me when a time like that comes I'll let them."

"But even your sister has her own family." Gabriella replied. "She's got her husband and children with her. And even if you become governor it'll still be lonely at the top for you because you'll have no one to share it with."

"So my best friend and her family doesn't count." She said sarcastically.

"You know I don't mean that." She shook her head. Gabriella sighed, trying not to sound too hasty. "Taylor it's been three years. And you act like you don't care what happened to them."

"I don't necessarily do. The choice on what to do was his." Taylor replied simply and stoically.

"Only because you gave him that choice as though there were no other options." Gabriella said. "Don't forget, I was there that day. I know what he chose. And maybe I don't know where they are…"

"It doesn't matter to me. About either of them." Taylor interrupted. "He disappeared three years ago. It was heard everywhere and there was no mention about anyone going with him."

"And you don't think that it's just coincidence that he disappeared less than a week after that day?" she inquired. "I was the last person he talked to. And even I don't know where he is right now. But all I know is that he's out there. And I could swear that he's waiting for you."

Taylor shook her head. She had a serious yet calm look on her face. "I admire you Gabriella. You really seem to think that there's a fairytale behind everything."

"I've had good reason to." She said. "How else would you explain everything that's happened between me and Troy?"

"I'm sorry hun, but not all of life can be like a fairytale." Taylor shook her head. _Believe me, I know._ She thought to herself.

Gabriella sighed. Knowing how stubborn her friend could be, there's no way she'd admit to anything so easily. And the last thing she wanted was to start an argument between them. Gabriella took out her phone and read a brief text message. "I better get going." She finally spoke again. "Troy has a game to get to soon and I promised I'd give Jamie his bath tonight."

"Alright." Taylor nodded, understanding. As Gabriella began walking to the door, Taylor stopped her and Gabriella turned to her friend. "I know you only want to help Gabriella, and believe me I do appreciate it." Taylor said. "But I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"One question," Gabriella replied. She just had to know before she left, at least for today. "Do you regret any choices you've made?"

Taylor was silent. She had no idea how to answer Gabriella. She certainly didn't regret anything she'd done in high school, being such a good student as well as salutatorian. She regretted nothing in college, being the same studious young woman and putting her work before anything else. But everything else after….

Gabriella cocked her head, patiently waiting an answer. Sounding like there was none, she just asked to make sure. "Taylor?" She saw Taylor shake her head, as though she were snapping back into reality. With a blank expression from her, Gabriella asked once more, "Do you have any regrets?"

Taylor stayed silent. She looked out the window of her condo, watching everything that occurred down there in the city from above. "Regrets are a funny thing Gabriella." She finally responded as she noticed her reflection in the window. "You don't think about them right away. But as soon as you make a decision, you figure out later if it was for better or worse." She squinted at her own reflection, trying to figure out what she was trying to say. "Let's just say regrets are like mistakes. They stay with you until you learn from them."

"So have you learned from yours yet?" Gabriella wondered. That was her last question before she walked out.

Taylor sighed as she was left alone. If only Gabriella knew. Though Taylor didn't realize it yet, she has made so many regrets in her past. Holding in a sigh, Taylor walked into her bedroom. Unlocking one of her dresser drawers, she pulled out her high school yearbook. So many memeories were held close from that book. But not everything from high school lasts forever. She scanned the pages until she finally found a picture of her and her own high school sweetheart. Yup, that was him. Chad Danforth. Taylor briefly touched the picture; it felt like not too long ago he was right there by her side. But now he wasn't. He had disappeared three years ago and no one's heard from him since.

Deep in the back of Taylor's head, she had more regrets than she thought. But when she had finally thought about it, only one regret came to mind. "My only regret," she said to herself, "is pushing you away when on the day I needed you most, you came back."

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End of Chapter 1. Doesn't seem like much now, but everything will be learned in due time. It's all in the suspense.


	2. The Other Side

This is Chapter two. Sorry if it's so short, but don't worry. Most of the chapters are gonna be much longer than this. Keep reading for updates. Chapter three coming soon.

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A sigh escaped the man as he read the paper. "I knew she was gonna be successful." There was nothing but sadness in his eyes as he gently placed the newspaper down. "But maybe it was for the best. I mean, it's not like she wanted anything to do with us." He picked up his gaze and looked around the dirty room. Actually, it was just the bottom floor of an abandoned apartment, pretty much in a slum-like area of the city. But all that was left in his "house" was a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a very small kitchen. Yes, that's how run-down the place was. And almost every room was a mess, except for the bedroom. Everything that was in the house looked like it was sold off a cheap market. But he wished he could do so much better.

"Hey Jas?" the man asked, waiting for an answer from someone. But there was nothing. His brown eyes filled with worry as he searched the small living area. "Jasmine? Hey where are you?" he called frantically. He worriedly moved some curly bangs out of his dark face and continued searching. "Jasmine Danforth where are you?" Walking over to the doorway, he finally spotted a very young girl ready to head outside. He gasped and picked her up. "What did I tell you about going outside? You know you could get in trouble out there. You can't go anywhere without me." He scolded.

The big brown eyes of the girl watered up, knowing she was in trouble. Even for a three year old she knew. And though she didn't talk much, despite the fact that about a year ago she did say her first word, she did have her own way of communicating.

Her father sighed and shook his head. "Don't make that face at me. You look just like…" he cut himself off as he stared into the girl's brown eyes. Man, how he'd gotten looks like that so much in the past. He couldn't get over how much she resembled her. He finally sighed and looked at the ground. "… Like your mother." He stayed silent for a minute before picking her up and bringing her into the bedroom – her bedroom. There were barely any toys in there and the bed looked more like a bed to be pulled out of a closet. He gently placed Jasmine in her bed and tucked her in. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." He apologized quietly. "But things are gonna get better soon. I promise." He kissed his daughter on the forehead before walking back into the living room. And already he regretted making that promise. How could things get better soon when everyone thought he disappeared years ago?

Yes, that's right. As hard as it was to believe, that man was Chad Danforth. A once rising athlete he was now living in a somewhat secluded area with a three year old. He had to admit, he had no idea what else to do at the time. He panicked, ok? He found himself alone with a baby girl and no idea what else to do. But he wanted so much more for both of them than what they had now.

Sure, their living conditions weren't that great, and Chad was lucky to be bringing in some kind of money at all. But aside from his attire and voice, Chad didn't look that different. His hair had grown out much more, but it was still the same kind of curly that everyone recognized him by. His skin was just as dark as it ever was, but his brown eyes had so much more than wishes for dreams. He was taller and a bit more muscular, but he dressed completely differently. He would hide himself in large coats or hats so no one would know it was him, and he'd make his voice much deeper than it sounded so no one would know him. His voice had gotten a tad deeper naturally, but Chad was still not going to give way his identity. He'd been living like this for three years and he wasn't about to lose it all now.

Chad looked at the paper, reading the same article that Gabriella and Taylor were reading earlier. He could see pictures of the two candidates for governor, and he couldn't take his eyes off of Taylor's picture. "You know, I'm kinda glad you can't see me right now." He admitted quietly. "You'd be really disappointed." He sighed and paused for a minute. "But what you're going for right now, you deserve it more than anyone. And I'm not holding you back. Not anymore."

Yes, his lifestyle was now so much different from Taylor's. But that didn't mean a day went by without him thinking of her. She was his everything. His friend, his girlfriend, his world, his life. But one mistake and that all had gone down the drain. And Chad would be the first to admit that it was his fault. But there was no time for that now. There was no time to dread along the past for much longer. Chad had to get out of this life and he had to find a better one. For him and his daughter.

His and Taylor's.

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Confused? In suspense? Well, that's the goal here. Just hoping it keeps you interested. But if you're lost after this chapter then wait until the next one. It'll explain everything.


	3. Flashbacks, Part One

Ok this chapter is much longer. It's the flashback chapter where it explains almost everything that happened leading up to where everyone is now. So, hope this fills in some of the blanks in the story. More to come soon!

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_**High School – Senior Year**_

_Maybe that's when it all started. When things started heating up between the two. Nothing happened to cause them to break up in the middle of the year. As far as they both knew, they had no secrets. There were no scandals, no pregnancies, no love making. It was all kept clean and simple, a slow and steady relationship as they had both agreed on. And for most of senior year, things were going great. But in reality, not all relationship in high school last forever._

_It was a typical Friday afternoon. Chad had just gotten out of basketball practice and could already feel a smile creeping on his face as he saw his girlfriend waiting for him by his locker. Man, she was looking so fine. Ok, so maybe Chad was crazy about Taylor. But he'd let his expressions speak for themselves. "Hey Tay." He greeted with a smile as he walked over to her. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting." H snuck a peck on her cheek._

_Taylor giggled slightly as she returned the action. "Well you just happen to be in luck. I have one take home test to prepare for finals over the weekend so I happen to be free longer than I thought."_

"_So I can take you out to dinner tonight and keep you out past curfew?" he teased._

_Taylor playfully rolled her eyes. "Don't get too cocky, basketball man. You know you're still on thin ice with my mother."_

_Way to bring him down. Taylor's mother had never really approved of Chad, from the time Chad and Taylor were ten to that very day. He could still remember not being allowed in the house for Taylor's tenth birthday party; her mother had to knock the message into him by practically chasing him out with a mop. Chad still new to joke about it from time to time, but for Taylor it was just plain embarrassing. Really, having her mother shoo out a classmate with a mop?_

"_Well, no worries about tonight then." Chad shrugged. "How about tomorrow then? We can go to the beach. Swimming, eating…"_

"_Pushing you in the water?" Taylor finished with a smirk._

_Chad chuckled. "Yeah, that too."_

"_Then I'm in." she agreed. She began walking ahead of Chad, though had her hand swinging behind her temptingly. It was almost as if she were saying, 'come on, you know you want to grab my hand'. And that's exactly what Chad did. He held her hand in his and walked beside her out to his car. Even if high school was coming to an end soon, even at the time everything seemed so much more simple. Well, so much for simple._

_The next night Chad had taken Taylor to the beach as they both agreed. It was a warm night with a slight, gentle breeze, and the moon was already rising into the sky. As they set everything up on the sand, a blanket with a couple of towels and a few snacks, both teens began pulling off their clothes to reveal their swimsuits. Chad only pulled off his t-shirt, as his trunks were already on. And all he had to do was kick off his sandals. He turned to look at Taylor and could see her slowly pulling off her shirt and revealing the top half of a red swimsuit, perfectly fitting her figure. And as she pulled off her shorts, her legs looked longer than ever. You could say Chad was infatuated_

_But nothing got by Taylor too easily. She smirked as she turned around to Chad, tossing her clothes to the side. "Looking at something?"_

_Chad chuckled and shook his head, his eyes moving up her body. "Just preparing to give you a push of your lifetime."_

"_In your dreams." She giggled. "You know you're always the first one to fall in the water."_

"_Oh yeah? Wanna bet?" Chad challenged._

"_Bring it." Taylor agreed._

_Both started laughing as Chad chased Taylor into the water. As much as he tried tackling her under, she always found a way to dodge his antics. Half of the time, Chad caught his balance and avoided falling in, but the rest of the time he was stuck pushing himself back up out of the shallow end with his hands. It finally got to the point where he tripped and fell in with a splash. Taylor had stopped running and laughed at Chad. She couldn't help it; even if he didn't mean to make her laugh he always just found a way to do it. Chad smirked and grabbed Taylor by the wrist, pulling her in on top of her. She gasped, but resorted back to laughing anyway. And for a while it was just the two of them in the ocean, spinning each other around. And as they slowly calmed down, Chad wrapped his arms around Taylor and she rested her head on his shoulders. All Chad could do was think about his mixed feelings. School was going to end soon, and he and Taylor were going to completely different colleges, him at home and her away. Part of him wanted to stay with her, but it conflicted with the common sense saying that it might be impossible. So for a while both were quiet. That is, until Chad broke the silence._

"_Hey Tay?" he asked quietly._

"_Yeah?" Taylor asked, her voice as soft as his._

"_Do you love me?" Chad asked._

_At that instant, her head jerked off of his shoulder and she stared at him. "Come again?" Taylor wanted to make sure she had heard him right._

"_Do you love me?" he repeated._

_Taylor shook her head in disbelief. "Why are you asking?_

_Chad sighed. "Because we're almost ready for college. And I don't know if we should stay together or not. So that's why I wanna know." He explained. "I mean, if we stay together somehow maybe we can work it out. But if we don't…you know, feel that way about each other, then why should we do anything?"_

_Believe it or not, Taylor understood completely where he was coming from. She had the same conflict in her head once in a while as well. She had debated her feelings for Chad and if they should stay a couple through college or not. She was trying to be realistic; if she was learning political science and taking a part in the student government at Yale then how could she and Chad be together if he was at home spending most of his time practicing or playing basketball? But she was also trying to be realistic about her feelings. She liked Chad. A lot. She knew it from their first date. But was she ready…?_

_Chad just stared at her, able to tell that she was deep in thought. Had he said the wrong thing? Did he ask at the wrong time? He was only thinking of them. "Tay?"_

_Taylor allowed herself to look at him. "Chad," she started, "you know I like you. A lot. You always show me a good time and even though we're complete opposites, you just act like we fit together perfectly. But…I'm just not sure if I'm ready to say 'I love you'. You're my first boyfriend. So how can I really know what love is?"_

_Chad sighed with relief. "I'm really glad to hear you say that." He saw the look on her face. One that read disappointment and that could strike guilt into someone's soul. "No, I don't mean like that." He said quickly. With Taylor giving him the chance to explain he continued. "I've been thinking about this for weeks. And I had no idea what to do. And I didn't wanna say anything if you didn't feel the same way. I mean, I've never really dated anyone before you either. And I know I like you and being with you."_

_Taylor nodded, in complete understanding. "so does that mean…?"_

"_Can we pleast wait until the date's over?" Chad asked. "I don't wanna end it like that. Not out here."_

_Taylor smiled warmly and agreed. "You're a lot smarter than I give you credit for sometimes, Danforth." She teased. "I knew I liked you for a reason."_

_Chad smiled back and pulled her in closer. "I'm full of surprises." He played along. "So that's why I'm gonna make this date the best one we've ever had. Even if it's our last." And with that said, he pulled Taylor in for a warm kiss. His wet hair fell on top of her head and his arms went around her, holding her tight. She returned the action just the same and not giving any less, with her arms grasped around his neck._

_**After College – Four Years Later**_

_It had started out as a simple double date. Troy and Gabriella were going out and they wanted to take Taylor and Chad with them. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just spend a date together with their best friends and have everyone catch up. The restaurant was a regular one, and the girls were sitting across from the boys. Troy and Gabriella were doing most of the talking to each other, but Chad and Taylor hadn't said much to each other. Not that they weren't on speaking terms, but so much was going through both of their minds._

_With Chad sitting across from Taylor it was hard for him not to look at her. She looked like she'd gotten a little taller. And her hair looked a little longer but it was just as straight as the last time he saw her. But her eyes were as big and brown as ever. That's what kept Chad on her. And every time she looked back at him, Chad hid his face in a menu from embarrassment._

_Taylor would only giggle under her breath. Even from the quick glimpses she saw of Chad she could tell so much about him. He had been working out; she could see the strong muscles in his arms. And his hair was just as curly and bushy…man, how she thought about touching it once again. And even though her eyes locked with his for less than a millisecond, they were just so breathtaking._

_Once in a while they said a few things to each other, and there would be four-way conversations between the group. But for the majority of the night Troy and Gabriella did most of the talking. And by the night's end Troy and Gabriella left for home together. Troy offered to drive her home and as soon as she accepted, both turned to a shocked Taylor and Chad. "You guys don't mind going home together right?" Troy asked. Without giving them a chance to answer, he just added a quick "great" and bid them farewell, leaving with Gabriella. Chad and Taylor exchanged glances and then quickly looked away from each other. The ride home for both of them started out quite awkward. It wasn't until Chad turned on the radio that they both felt more comfortable. A familiar song came on and it started out with Chad just humming the words. Taylor jumped in shortly after singing along, and then Chad joined his and her voices together. That went on for a good five minutes until the song came to an end and Chad turned off the radio, laughing along with Taylor._

"_Man it's been ages since I heard that song." He laughed._

"_I know. Every time I sang along to the radio in the car, my friends would look at me like I had two heads." Taylor agreed._

"_Wow, friends who are more serious than you? I never thought I'd see the day." Chad joked._

_Taylor playfully rolled her eyes. Yes, her friends from college were actually much more serious than she was, but when it came to things such as wild college parties, that's when they got worse than her._

_After talking for a few more minutes, Taylor instructed Chad on how to get to her apartment. She explained to him that it was a temporary living arrangement, just until she earned a job at home and could afford a better place. Chad teased and said how it was better than him, still living at home with his dad and siblings._

_When Chad finally parked the car in the parking lot, Taylor flashed him a smile. "Thanks for the ride."_

"_Hey, any time." Chad grinned with a shrug._

_Taylor started exiting the car, and then quickly glanced back at Chad. For some reason, she wasn't ready to leave him yet. "Do you want to walk me up to my room?" she wondered._

_Chad paused for a minute. He couldn't believe his luck. The amazing girl that he broke it off with in high school and that he was just joking around with and practically crushing on was going to let him spend five extra minutes with her? For a moment he was thinking that someone would pinch him and wake him up from the dream. But it wasn't one. "Yeah." He agreed with a wide smile. "It sounds great."_

_Taylor led Chad up to the floor where her room was, and made sure to take a little longer than usual to pull out her room key. She didn't know what it was, but she wasn't ready to let Chad go home yet. Something inside of her was just saying, "Don't let him leave yet. Let him stay longer."_

_Chad could only smile as he watched Taylor go through her purse so carefully. Man how she looked cute. He couldn't even remember why they broke up. All he could think about was wrapping him arms around her and not letting her go. But his thoughts were interrupted as he saw her open the door. "So, I guess I'll see you around then…" he nodded as he saw Taylor step into the room._

_Taylor thought there was a scent of disappointment in his voice. And she still wasn't ready to watch him leave. "Actually," she stopped him from walking away, "would you like to come in?"_

_Chad spun back around to her and nodded. "Yeah. That'd be great." He agreed. Taylor opened the door a little more so Chad could walk in, and then closed it behind her. It was a simple one bedroom apartment, but everything was so neat and organized. It seemed so much bigger than it really was. "Wow, it is really nice in here." He observed._

"_Thank you." Taylor replied as she began slipping off her jacket._

"_Here, let me get that for you." Chad said quickly. He slowly pulled off her jacket and hung it up on the nearby coat rack._

"_Now what has gotten into you tonight?" she inquired curiously, almost with a smirk as she turned to face Chad again._

"_Now wouldn't you like to know?" Chad teased. He took a step closer, and Taylor teased him by taking a step back. Chad smiled and shook his head. "Oh no, you are not getting away from me."_

"_Try me." Taylor challenged. She started running and Chad followed close behind her. They were both laughing like it was a game, but deep down they knew that it wasn't. Taylor had stopped running as she leaned her back against one of the walls, right near a window with a great view of the city, just to catch her breath. The second she opened her eyes, she could see Chad still running towards her. Before she knew it, his arms were around her waist and his lips on hers. Less than a second later, she deepened the kiss between them and wrapped his arms around his neck. She could feel her feet leaving the ground as Chad lifted her just a little. She only wished it could be higher, so her forehead could rest against his and that he could hold her tighter so she wouldn't fall. But this…this is what she was missing for the past four years. She just couldn't believe it. And all Chad could do was refuse to let her go, and slowly put her down and pull away as they both became short of air. He rested his forehead against hers and they breathed heavily on each other, not looking away from each other._

_As soon as Taylor caught her breath, she managed to get out the words that she wanted to say all night, "Would you like to stay over?"_

_**One Year Later**_

"_I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Troy Bolton."_

_The crowd cheered and Troy and Gabriella shared a passionate kiss. And instead of rushing right off to their honeymoon, Troy and Gabriella invited all their friends to a party. Yes, an after-party to their own wedding with their closest friends and family. It was a small garden party, but everyone was having the time of their life. There were flowers everywhere, and the garden itself was like a maze of flowers around the area, but the party remained in the same place. Rounded lacey tables and a large long one fill with food. Troy and Gabriella had only temporarily gone their separate ways to be congratulated by their closest friends and family. And it wasn't long before Troy and run into Chad._

"_Hey way to go man!" Chad cheered, slapping Troy on the back. "How does it feel to be officially spoken for?"_

"_You have no idea." Troy chuckled. He put an arm around Chad, like one of their manly brother-like hugs. "Thanks for being the best man."_

"_Hey, anything for you." Chad replied. "How could I say no? Besides, someone had to stay by your side at the alter while you twitched your thumbs and looking all around the room hopelessly thinking, 'Oh no what if Gabriella doesn't come? What if we're not ready for this?'"_

_Troy only laughed at his friend's antics. "Hey I wasn't that worried.' He replied. He looked over to the other side of the party where he saw Gabriella with the girls. He eyed Chad, seeing it was the perfect time to tease him. "So what are you gonna ask her?"_

"_Ask who what?" Chad asked innocently._

_Troy nudged Chad. He pointed to the group of girls where Gabriella and Taylor were at. "Ask Taylor." He replied. "As in, plop the question."_

"_Soon." Chad answered._

"_When? Like tonight?" Troy asked._

"_Sooner than that." Chad replied._

"_When?" Troy asked._

"_Just soon, ok?" Chad insisted. Troy was starting to make him nervous. It was just like high school where he and Taylor had gone a year with their relationship. Sure they had their typical arguments and breakups, but they both knew the breakup would never be for good. A day or less after a fight they'd be in each others' arms again. But this time Chad wasn't going to end it. He was ready. He paused for a minute and took a deep breath, then walked over to Taylor. He cleared his throat and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"_

"_Of course." Taylor nodded. She let him take her hand and lead her away from the group. They entered the garden, walking away from the party. "Where are we going?" she wondered._

"_Just a little further." Chad promised. He didn't want the whole party knowing what was going on. What was wrong with surprising them? And what better time to plop the question than now? They'd never be in a beautiful garden like this again. And even if they were, it wasn't like it'd be the next day. Once Chad figured they were far enough away from the group, he turned around to Taylor._

"_So what did you want to talk about?" Taylor wondered._

_Chad could almost feel sweat forming on his forehead. Was he ready? Was she ready? No. He wasn't going to question himself now. Not when everything was all set up. "Actually, I need to ask you something." He replied. "And it's really, really important."_

"_Ask away." Taylor replied. She knew that sometimes Chad could let his nerves get the better of him, but she had no idea what he had in store for her this time. As far as she knew, it was just a boyfriend asking his girlfriend a simple everyday question that happened to make him nervous._

"_We've known each other for a really long time." Chad started. "Practically since elementary school. And I know we never really had anything to do with each other until high school, but I wanted you to know that back then, when we dated, that was one of the best times of my life. And you were the best thing that ever happened to me. You're pretty, smart, fun, sweet..." Thuogh she seemed taken back and speechless, Chad didn't once take his eyes off of her. "...and I was lucky enough just to date you back then. And I'm even luckier now to be back together with you. But what would make me the luckiest guy on the planet, maybe even in New Mexico, is if we could be something more." Chad held onto one of her hands and knelt down, looking up at her as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case. "So that's why I wanna know if you'll marry me."_

_Taylor had no idea what to say. Her heart skipped a beat and she covered her mouth with her hand. Chad was really asking her? She just couldn't believe it. She could feel her eyes watering, but it was ntohing more than happiness. "Luck has nothing to do with it Chad." she finally spoke, though she was trying to ignore the lump in her throat. But she knew what he was trying to say. "...But how could I say no?"_

_Chad's eyes brightened as he slowly stood up, revealing the ring in the case. "So that's a...?"_

_"Yes!" Taylor smiled._

_Chad smiled back. While the moment was free, he slipped the ring o her finger. They looked at each other and then pulled together close in a tight hug. Chad spun Taylor around off her feet and planted a kiss on her, which she returned. Though it felt like it lasted forever, they both had to pull away so they could look in each others' eyes and say what they both wanted to for so long, "I love you."_

_

* * *

_Aw, what a happy sappy-like ending to the chapter. Well, I can joke about my own stories can't I? Well, that's what I'm doing right now. Don't think this is the end of the flashbacks, because it's going to be continued into the next chapter. What do you think so far? Do I need to add in anything special? More sappy scenes? A special T&G scene? Feel free to say, cause anything can happen when the flashbacks are finished.


	4. Flashbacks, Part Two

Ok, Chapter four is now up! It's the end of the flashbacks. That should be all for tonight because if I keep doing this I'm gonna have a bad neck. Really, has anyone else had that problem? Anyway, this chapter mentions a lot of three's for some reason. But why not, it's classic. You hear it on movies all the time: three days to do something, three strikes and you're out, etc. Ok, I will stop yakking now and let you get to the reading.

* * *

_**Six Months Later**_

"_And that's the last of it." Chad sighed with relief as he dumped the last box into the house._

_Taylor walked downstairs and rolled her eyes. "We need to unpack all of this stuff Chad. Don't you think you should have dropped that box in its designated room?"_

"_Keep saying big words like designated and I'll have to designate you to your own location." Chad teased with a smile. He walked over to Taylor and wrapped his arms around her, then pecked her on the forehead._

_It had taken a while, but the pair finally found a house they both agreed on. They had casual jobs, but nothing too extraordinary. Chad was waiting for a response from someplace about basketball or baseball but so far nothing. And there was no way Taylor was rushing into a permanent career just yet. As much as she wanted to be president, there was no way she could get involved in anything political if her wedding was coming up. And they already had enough to worry about; turns out that Gabriella recently found out she was pregnant. It had taken her three months to realize it to, courtesy of a lack of mourning sickness._

"_Ok, enough cuddling." Taylor teased as she pushed Chad off of her. "We have to get everything in order around here. And you know I want to visit Gabriella later."_

"_Relax Tay. She's gonna be fine." Chad said. "Besides, you don't need to check on her everyday. That's Troy's job."_

"_Right, I can already imagine his reaction when it's time." Taylor giggled._

"_Ditto." Chad agreed. He altered his voice to sound as close to Troy's as he could, then ran around the crowded living room panicking. "The baby's coming, the baby's coming! Oh no, what do I do? Fake right? Run left? Slam dunk? GAH!" Then he held his heart and collapsed onto the floor._

_Taylor couldn't help but burst out laughing. Chad had once again made such a serious situation sound humorous and like it was no big deal. "Just promise that you won't act that dramatic when our time comes."_

_Chad's head shot up. "You said what now?" he gasped. "Tay, are you…?"_

"_Got you." Taylor winked. "But it got you up didn't it?"_

"_Oh, right. Good one Tay." Chad said. He secretly sighed with relief. It was going to be hard enough to help Troy and Gabriella with their baby if they needed it. No way could Chad handle one of his own either. He was hoping to wait a couple of years for that, at a minimum._

_Taylor could still see some uneasiness in Chad. She smiled to herself, knowing exactly what could make it better. She walked over to him and stood behind him, gently rubbing his shoulders. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better I started unpacking things in the bedroom."_

_Chad quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "Have you now?"_

"_Mm-hm." She nodded. "So if you wanted to, oh I don't know, do something tonight…"_

_Chad didn't even let her finish. He dashed upstairs in the blink of an eye, determined to clean almost every single box off the floor. Blinking, Taylor walked upstairs and tried to catch up with him. "Chad what are you-?" She froze when she saw the entire room was nearly clean. And in less than five minutes. By Chad. She crossed her arms and shook her head, though quite impressed. "If this is a dream, then don't pinch me. And if it isn't, who are you and what have you done with the real Chad Danforth?"_

_Chad only smiled slyly. "If it's a dream would I be threatening to pull you on this bed and never let you get off?"_

_Taylor cocked her head and didn't lose her smile, knowing he was just trying to act cool. She could see right through his little act. "Well then why don't I just change into something more comfortable?" She walked over to the closet, where she had hung most of her clothes in advance, and began looking through it._

_Chad smiled and walked behind her, chaining his arms around her waist. "You sure you don't need any help with that? I see a zipper on your shirt just waiting to be pulled down."_

_Taylor smirked as her eyes met his, even if for her it was just through the corner "Try me."_

_**Three Months Later**_

"_Just three months to go…" Gabriella told herself as she tried reaching for a glass in her kitchen._

"_Here, let me give you a hand." Taylor offered. She reached the glass in the cupboard much easier than Gabriella._

"_You're a guest in my house. You shouldn't get a glass for yourself." Gabriella said as she poured some water into it._

"_You're due in three months Gabriella. You should really be taking it easy." Taylor replied._

"_And don't you have something big coming up soon? Even if it is in more than three months?" Gabriella inquired._

"_What are you talking about?" Taylor asked, almost as though she was trying to hide something._

"_Uh, you and Chad?" Gabriella raised an eyebrow._

"_Oh, right. Yeah of course." Taylor nodded._

"_Maybe I should be asking you if everything's ok." Gabriella suggested as she carefully sat down at the kitchen table. "You seem a bit…off."_

"_Off?" she repeated. "How so?"_

"_You just sound like you're trying to hide something." Gabriella shrugged. She gasped. "Taylor are you having an affair?"_

"_What?" her eyes widened. "No, of course not! I would never do that to Chad."_

"_So then what are you hiding?" Gabriella asked. "If it's nerves then I completely understand. I had them long before Troy and I started planning everything. I mean I had all these nightmares about what could go wrong…"_

"_Believe me, it's not exactly like that." Taylor shook her head._

"_So then what is it?" her friend asked._

"_Well…" Taylor started. She looked around the house to make sure no one else was around. Of course no one else was around. The boys were at the batting cages and then going bowling or something else sports-related. She turned back to Gabriella. "Just…something doesn't feel right. But it's not a fever, I haven't been sick, there's been no nausea…"_

"_Is it…you know, that time?" Gabriella wondered. Hey, even though they were girls and this was technically girl talk they had to be sensitive about it._

"_That's just it." Taylor replied. "It hasn't been. I mean, I thought it was one of those times when it switched. Because of the weather and all. But it's been like that for a while."_

"_How long is a while?" she raised an eyebrow carefully._

_Taylor bit her bottom lip. "Give or take…three months."_

"_Tay, maybe we should go see the doctor." She suggested._

"_No!" she gasped. "Gabriella, I can't be. Not now, not before I'm married. Even if it's what, less than a year from now."_

"_But we really should make sure. I mean, not going to the doctor when there's that high chance that you are, could be health threatening to you and the baby."_

"_Gabriella, there is not one inside me. There's nothing wrong with me. I'm not having any until Chad and I are ready. And after we're married."_

"_Even if it's before you two are married what difference would it make by now? Last I checked you and Chad were crazy about each other. Even Jason can't miss it, and you know how easily he misses a banana peel in the middle of his driveway."_

"_Can't we just be sure before we talk to anyone about this?"_

_Gabriella sighed. Someone was in denial. But what would it hurt to trace back, right? "Alright." She gave in. "So think back then. Did you and Chad…?"_

_Taylor didn't even need Gabriella to finish the question. "Yes."_

"_When?" Gabriella asked._

"_Well the first time was after we were all on that double date and you went home with Troy instead of me like we planned…" Taylor started._

"_Wait a minute." She cut her off. "As in, after college? When we were at the restaurant? As in just the four of us? For the first time after college?"_

_Taylor nodded._

"_You never told me about that!"_

"_Well Chad offered me a ride home and when we got to my apartment I didn't exactly want him to leave, and we eventually ended up kissing and I asked him to stay the night…"_

"_And that explains it. Did you use protection?"_

"_If we didn't then I would have been worrying then. Either that or have gotten an abortion."_

"_Ok so what about after that?"_

"_Every time after that. Protected. We were just fine."_

"_So how about recently?"_

_Taylor froze. The last time she and Chad did it…was when she was tempting him to get the bedroom clean so they could…. "Oh snap."_

"_Taylor…" Gabriella sighed._

_Taylor hit her head. "Gabriella how could I be so stupid?"_

"_You're not stupid." She comforted her. "So, we know that's probably the reason. So let's go to my doctor. My next appointment is a week from tomorrow. You can come with me and I'll ask them to look at you. I won't even let Troy come. It'll just be a girl's day."_

"_Alright." Taylor gave in. "Just to make sure."_

_**Two Months Later**_

_It came much earlier than expected, even if it was by a month. But Gabriella had given birth to a healthy baby boy. Much smaller than the average baby, but healthy overall. Troy and Gabriella were overjoyed, but the thought of it only made Taylor more nervous._

_A few weeks later Chad got off the phone with Troy. "Ok, everything is perfect in the Bolton household." Chad told Taylor, who was sitting on the couch in the living room. It looked much nicer than it did five or so months prior. The furniture was much nicer and everything was perfectly organized. It had especially helped that Chad was getting a deal in to become an athlete. A couple of calls and a final reply from a basketball manager and Chad had a chance. Even as he would practice with some of the team members to see if he had enough game, he was being closely watched by other managers. Hey, his track with sports had been excellent after all. "Jamie's settling in and Gabriella and Troy are finally getting some rest." He added._

"_That's great." Taylor nodded. Ok, so everything had gone well for Gabriella. Troy was there supporting her and the whole delivery was pretty easy for her. Maybe because the baby was so small that made it less painless for Gabriella, but it still wasn't helping Taylor's nerves. For her, she was almost on the five month mark and she and Chad were still planning for the wedding. And, as one might have guessed, she still hasn't told Chad._

"_And there' more good news." Chad added with a smile. "Got a call the other day, and it turns out a lot of managers are looking for me. I'm getting offers from teams like the Celtics, the Nicks, Yankees, Cubs…"_

"_That's really great Chad." Taylor smiled weakly. Ok, so things were going great for him. Why should she ruin it by breaking the news to him? Why didn't she even get an abortion when it was early enough? Oh yeah, because by three months it was most likely already too late and she happened to be pro-life. It wasn't her fault, but Taylor couldn't think about going against her own morals, and as far as she was concerned, she deserved it for not being protected the last time._

_Chad raised an eyebrow. "Hey is everything ok?" he asked. He sat down next to Taylor._

_Taylor moved away just a little. "Yeah, of course."_

"_You just don't seem like yourself lately." Chad said._

"_How so?" she asked._

"_Well," he started counting off each reason with a finger, "you're not eating as much as you used to, you always seem edgy somehow, you bite your nails more than usual, and you don't wanna do anything when we're in bed except sleep. Not even talk."_

"_Maybe I just wanted a break from my…love making life." Taylor said. Oh yeah, now that's a dead give away. She barely ever used the polite term for it, but thanks to her big mouth she proved her nervousness._

"_Tay if something's wrong then you can tell me." Chad promised, managing to slip his arm around her. "We don't have to keep secrets from each other. The big day isn't too much further away now."_

"_It's coming closer than you know." Taylor confessed._

_Chad titled his head. "What, you want us to get married sooner?" he asked._

"_No." she shook her head. "I mean, that's not it. It's something else."_

"_So what is it Tay? Talk to me." Chad said calmly._

_Taylor sighed. She forced herself to turn to Chad and look at him. "A few months ago I was talking to Gabriella. We were talking about preparing for her baby and I was telling her what was going on with me. I mean, I was fine, but something just didn't feel right. So she took me to her appointment to check on her baby…and her doctor took a look at me." She looked down and squeezed her hands and took a deep breath before looking back at Chad. "I'm pregnant, Chad."_

_He stared at her doubtfully. "What?" he asked, almost speechless. "For how long?"_

_"About five months." she confessed._

_"And you didn't tell me about this?" he gasped._

_"Chad I'm sorry, I really am." Taylor apologized. "But you said that you wanted to wait at least a couple of years before we even thought about kids, and then the last time we did it..."_

_"But why didn't you tell me sooner? I didn't wanna learn now. Not like this."_

_"I couldn't end a new life before it started. That wouldn't be fair. And I was afraid of how you'd take it if I told you."_

_"Well you're pretty much seeing now. I'm freaking out, that's how I'm reacting." His arm was already off of Taylor and he was pacing around the room like crazy._

_"I know I should have told you sooner. And that was my fault." Taylor apologized again. "But I didn't want to end everything between us before it could even start. Will you please stop pacing around?"_

_I'm sorry." Chad stopped and stood in front of Taylor, who was now standing. He looked at her long and hard for a minute, then shook his head. "I need some air." He made his way towards the door._

_No, she couldn't let him do that. If Chad walked out those doors he might not come back. "Chad wait..." she started. Taylor reached out and grabbed his wrist._

_Unable to take it anymore, Chad spun around and slapped Taylor. She nearly lost her balance and fell. Chad froze, realizing what he did. That was an accident. He really didn't mean to...it was just his nerves taking over. But what could he do? If he tried to apologize she'd tune him out. If he didn't say anything she'd think he was walking out on her. Just because he was nervous doesn't mean he'd do that. He gulped and took a single step towards her. "Tay I-"_

_Taylor shook her head and jerked back from him. "Don't 'Tay' me." she reprimanded. Sure, it was just a slap on the face. But if it had gone lower and if it was hard enough then it could have hurt the baby. So she really did have something - someone - nside of her. Which meant she shouldn't be putting it at risk. She shook her head once more. "Go get your air." That was the last thing she said to him before running upstairs and Chad reluctantly walked out the door._

_By the time Chad walked back into the house it was pretty late. He didn't mean to be, he was just trying to clear his mind and figure out how to apologize. What to say, what to do...anything. But when he walked into the house there was no sign of Taylor. "Tay?" he asked as he stepped in. He first checked the living room, then the kitchen. "Taylor?" He rushed upstairs. No, she couldn't have left...not now. He didn't have a chance to fix everything. "Taylor?" he called frantically. Chad ended up in the bedroom. He searched everywhere but there was nothing. No one. All of her stuff was gone. Chad shook his head in doubt. "No..." He scanned the room rapidly again. He just kept telling himself that she had to be in there somewhere...hiding. Yeah, that's it. Taylor was just hiding and ready to surprise him. "Very funny Tay. You can come out now." he laughed nervously. But there was no answer. When Chad finally reached the bed, there was only hit set of pillows on there, and on the sheets the ring that he had given to Taylor. There was nothing else left._

**_Four Months Later_**

_Troy hung up his home phone and walked over to Chad, who was still sulking in the kitchen. Yes, Chad Danforth sulking. He had given up. He sold the house and was able to crash with Troy and Gabriella. He found out that when Taylor left she went to her mother's. Hey, where else do women go when they're angry with their men? Right, bad time for a pun._

_"So I just got off the phone with Gabriella." Troy told Chad. "She's with Taylor right now. They're both at Taylor's mother's house." There was no response from a disappointed - or heartbroken - Chad. "Taylor's doing alright. Last time she was checked everything was going smoothly. She and the baby aren't in any danger." Still no answer. Troy thought for a minute. "Well...Jamie's with Gabriella's mom right now. She always takes a day off working to see her grandson."_

_Wrong thing to say. "Well gee, that's just dandy." Chad said sarcastically, even though it was easy to hear the hurt in his voice. "My mom's never gonna be able to see her grandchild. I'm never gonna be able to see my child. I'll be amazed if Taylor's parents want anything to do with it."_

_More like a sore spot. Chad's mother had died years ago, and Troy knew how close they were. And Chad's father only wanted to talk to him when sports were involved nowadays. And now Chad was thinking that he wouldn't be able to have anything to do with his kid. "Chad calm down. Everything's gonna be fine." Troy promised._

_"How can you be sure of that?" Chad asked._

_"I don't know." Troy admitted. "But I do know that you're gonna need to be there when the day comes. And it's gonna be soon."_

_Chad flashed the ring. "Dude, Taylor left her engagement ring for a reason. t means she wants me out of her life." he said. "Why would she want me there when she gives birth?"_

_"The baby's still gonna be your's isn't it?" Troy replied. He patted Chad on the back. "Ok so it seems rough now. But all you need to do is give it some time. Remember how I was freaking out when Jamie was born? Look on the bright side, at least you won't be running around like I did."_

_"More like a maniac." Chad managed to let out a slight chuckle. At least Troy could make fun of his own actions when it mattered most._

_"See? All you'll have to do is rush there. No maniac acting involved. And no one looks at you like you're from the planet Boingo."_

_Chad raised an eyebrow. "Planet what?"_

_"Exactly!" Troy laughed. He hit a high five with Chad, and Chad felt a little more content than he did in months. He was still hurting inside, but at least he hadn't lost his best friend. "Thanks dude." he said._

_"Hey, what are fake brothers for right?" Troy shrugged. "You had my back so now I got yours. No worries."_

_"Hakuna Matata." Chad laughed._

_"Which means we'll be doing Lion King karaoke later." Troy agreed. "We'll do our crazy duet with that song. And then, we'll bring it home with our Elvis impressions."_

_"We stink at those." Chad said._

_"That's why we're gonna do them." Troy replied._

_Chad nodded. "I like the way you think, Elvis Bolton." he joked._

_"That's my bro." Troy nodded. He picked up his cell phone when he heard it ring. "You got Troy." he answered. His eyes widened when he heard Gabriella on the other line. "What?" he gasped. "When?" Chad looked at Troy with a quirked eyebrow. What was going on. "Now?" Troy gasped. He paused and waited for Gabriella to finish. "Alright, we'll be there as soon as we can." He hung up and turned to Chad. "It's time."_

_"For Lion King karaoke?" Chad asked._

_Troy hit Chad on the head. "Not that time. The other time." He rushed to grab his car keys and head to the front._

_Chad stayed where he was, actually using his hands as motions to try and figure out what Troy meant. "Time, time, time..." he kept saying to himself. "Time?" he nearly yelled. "Wait for me!" He chased right after Troy._

_By the time they were at the hospital Gabriella was already waiting. She saw Troy and Chad rush in. "Taylor's mom is with her."_

_"How's everything going?" Chad asked right away._

_"I don't know. They won't let me in." she admitted._

_Chad wasn't going to let that stop him. He rushed into the room without any warning. Despite the evil eye from Taylor's mother, Chad wasn't leaving. He looked down at Taylor, and obviously Taylor was too busy to look away. She was trying to act like Chad wasn't even there. Refusing to give up, Chad grabbed one of Taylor's hands. "You're doing good." he told her. "Just keep going."_

_As much as Taylor tried tuning him out, she realized that she couldn't. She didn't know how, but he was actually helping her through it. And with Chad standing right there and talking her through it everything went much quicker than expected. Out of breath once it was all over, Taylor fell back on the bed breathing heavily. Chad just looked at her and rubbed her hand. "You did great Tay." he told her softly. "You really did."_

_"Yeah but you didn't." she managed to say in between breaths._

_"Tay, I can explain." Chad tried._

_Taylor shook her head and looked away."I don't want to hear it from you. I don't need anything from you." She was tired and couldn't raise her voice. Taylor was trying to hide any emotions she was feeling right now, and she wasn't going to let Chad know that she was hurting inside even as she spoke to him. She waited a minute before continuing. "Just take it and leave."_

_Chad blinked, confused. "What?"_

_"Take the baby and leave." she repeated. "I don't want anything to do with either of you."_

_"Tay, no..." Chad started._

_"Don't 'Tay' me." she told him. She closed her eyes, assuring herself that she couldn't look at Chad now. "Don't ever call me that. Not again. Just leave with it. Do whatever you want. Keep it yourself, give it to an adoption agency, I don't care."_

_"Tay you can't mean that." Chad shook his head._

_"Yes I can." Taylor insisted. She turned away so her back was facing him and she pulled her hand out of his. Taylor pulled the covers over her so Chad wouldn't be able to see any possible tears fall. "Just. Go. Away." Quiet words, but the last words she said to him._

_Chad's face fell. He couldn't feel more guilty. He tried to make things better, he really did. He tried talking to her. He spent all that time trying to make it up to her...and nothing. Noe she wouldn't even look at him. Chad moved a few bangs out of his face, then walked out of the room. He saw Gabriella holding the baby._

_"What happened?" Gabriella wondered. "Does Taylor...?"_

_Chad shook his head and cut her off. "She doesn't want anything to do with me. Or the baby."_

_"But I can't hold onto it forever. I told the nurse I'd take it into Taylor." Gabriella replied._

_"You're not gonna have any luck." Chad shook his head. "She told me to do with it what I want. And now I don't know what to do." He took a pause in between his last two sentences. He wasn't about to show emotion in this. Not now. He had to be strong. Somehow. "I don't even know what to do. I mean, if I keep the baby then I'm all alone with it. I'm gonna have to raise it on my own, it's not gonna have a mother figure...I'm the only family it's gonna have. But if I give it up for a adoption then what? I'll never see it again. I won't know if it's in good hands. And I could regret it for the rest of my life."_

_Gabriella sighed. She wished she knew what to tell Chad. She really did. "Just hold her." she said quietly, resolving that the newborn was a girl. "Just hold her and see for yourself. Take one look at her. Then you'll know what you want to do. You'll know what's best for her."_

_Chad had no choice but to nod. He reached out and slowly took the baby from Gabriella. He stared at the newborn and for a minute it felt like they were the only ones around. Should he really give her up? Or should she know what at least one of her parents was like? He was still like that for at least five minutes. Even Gabriella could tell that Chad was in a debate for himself. A debate for what he wanted, or what was best for the baby. Chad took one last look at Gabriella and thanked her, then walked away._

_By the time Troy and Gabriella returned home later that night, everything of Chad's was gone. No one heard nothing from him. He didn't return any calls made to him. No one knew where he went. And the managers interested in putting him on the team made a brief newscast. They said he was a promising young athlete who could go far, but only if he came back. Even made one phone call. But no matter who tried to get in touch with Chad there was no answer._

_He had disappeared._

_

* * *

_Well that was a fairly long chapter. Didn't expect these flashbacks to be that long. But why mush up happy and sad flashbacks alltogether? You're happy when half of it's over and you're sad fifteen minutes later. It's just depressing. Well, this is probably depressing too. But it's gonna get better. Anyway, just a quick thanks to the first review that I found from the story. Thanks Rose of Hope. If there's any others I'll add em on next chapter. ^^ It'll be up ASAP!


	5. Accident

Ok I typed this up last night because evidently, I have no life. XD Ok, I was gonna visit some co-workers at the bowling alley but I wasn't allowed to drive in cold sleet. Anyway, sorry for the shortness of this chapter. It's a little slow but one the slow build-ups, you know?

By the way,have I mentioned that I don't own HSM or any of its characters? o_0 Well, I don't, sadly.

* * *

"Ok so all we need to do…" Taylor said to herself as she made a few more notes on the large sheet of graph paper. It was just her way of getting the people's attention. She'd been spending the last couple of days researching stocks and such in New Mexico and numerous charts were covering the dinning room table. Once everything was organized and taken care of she was going to publish an article about it in the local newspaper. Hey, everyone reads the newspaper after all. She had so many ideas. And man, was she on a roll. Chart after chart after graph after chart….

Taylor's head shot up when she heard an alarm go off. Of course, how could she forget? It was her shift at the office. Ok, so maybe being a secretary wasn't the best side job in the world, but it would hold her off until she became governor. And besides, it's not like the office was fancy and rich or whatnot; it'd be something people could relate to. Hey, maybe that was something else she could use. Man, all of those possibilities.

As Taylor left the condo and went out to her car, she sighed. A bird had decided to use the window for target practice. She shook her head and searched through the glove compartment. She knew she had some wipers in there or something. As she searched through the crowded compartment, she noticed a piece of jewelry fall out from the corner of her eye. Taylor turned to it and for a moment focused on nothing else but it.

It was a gold necklace. Not something expensive like fourteen karat or anything, but still a very nice necklace. The chain was thin and a small charm hung off of it with the letters C and T connected to each other. She slowly reached for the necklace and picked it up, gently holding it in her hands. She remembered this necklace. Back when she actually dated. He had given it to her one night….

Taylor shook her head. She didn't want to think about him. She wanted nothing to do with him. He was out of her life. For good. But as tempted as she was to get rid of it, or even throw it out the car window, Taylor couldn't bring herself to do it. So instead, she slipped it inside her purse and sealed it shut. She could donate it to charity or something later. Just as long as she wouldn't have to take another look at it.

Finally, she turned on the car engine and drove off. Her finger tapped lightly against the steering wheel, listening to the music from the radio. Taylor stopped at a red light and took the chance to look at the time. Two p.m. Dang, she was going to be late at the rate she was going. And Taylor was never late. She cursed in her head and sped as soon as the light turned green. Alright, maybe she didn't _speed_ speed, but it was still a few miles over the speed limit.

"Come on Jas, we have to go." Chad said as he put the shirt over his daughter. "If we don't leave now we're not gonna get the chance to grab any food. And while I'm working where I am we might as well deal with one free meal a day."

He smiled as he saw Jasmine nod. Ok, so she was a quiet little girl. Chad would have loved to hear more from her, but what could he expect? They lived in a near deserted area that hardly anyone would want to live in and there were no other children around to play with. But he had to keep telling himself that it was going to get better. He had to think that. For his and Jasmine's sake.

"Ok, let me just get finished and we can go." Chad promised. Another nod from the little girl and Chad slipped on his overcoat. He tied his hair back and put a baseball cap on over it. He had to stay incognito. Maybe with Chad working he couldn't keep his identity a secret, but he had his ways around it. He'd go by his middle name instead of his first, though it was a name he quite despised. It even took him ten years of his life to learn how to spell it – after learning how to write. But if he let anyone know who he really was, the secret would be out. Everyone would want to know why he went missing. How he was surviving. How he was raising a three year old. And if anyone ever found out the living conditions there could be the threat of foster care. Chad shuddered at the thought. No way anyone would find out about him and do that to his little girl. Not a chance. Too bad that the secret was about to come out.

Chad walked back over to Jasmine and picked her up. "Let's go kiddo." With that, he walked out and hid her slightly under his overcoat. If there was any sign of trouble out in this area they'd go for the child first. He gripped her tighter and sped up through the area, just wanting to get somewhere safer.

At the same time Taylor was still racing to get to work. Even going five miles over the speed limit she would still be late. She wanted to speed up but she knew she was already at risk going as fast as she was. If only there was a shortcut she could take…wait a minute that was it. A shortcut! Taylor knew exactly where to go. She made a turn and began driving a bit more calmly, though still a bit over the speed limit. She switched from forty-five miles an hour to forty miles an hour. Still five miles faster than the speed limit allowed, but there was good reason. It was a lesser crowded area of the city, like where one wouldn't see a mob of cars passing every five minutes. Hence the slower speed limit, also considering there were a few houses nearby. Yes, Albuquerque could be quite confusing sometimes. Too bad what Taylor didn't know was that the turn she made while driving was going to be a turn in her life.

It was not too far up the road that Chad was heading into the city. Leaving the slums, pass through the quieter area, arrive in the city. Made perfect sense, right? Right. It was at a corner that he stopped walking. He saw his daughter look up at him curiously. Chad chuckled and rubbed her head.

"We'll be there soon, don't worry." He said. "But remember; always look both ways before crossing the street. That's a life lesson right there."

Yeah, like Jasmine was really going to understand what her father was saying about crossing streets. Well, he could dream couldn't he? Chad took a few different glances down each side of the street. From what he could tell it was all clear. He adjusted his hat and then fixed his grip on Jasmine before he started walking across.

As they headed across the street, Taylor's car approached them. From her view all she could see was a person in a large coat crossing. She had to hit the breaks, and fast. Not even thinking, she slammed on the breaks, causing a large shrieking noise.

Chad looked up as he saw the car coming. Just the car, forget who might be in it. His eyes widened and he did the only thing he could think of – jump out of the way before it could hit them. He held Jasmine closer to him under his trench coat and landed on the other side of the street.

Taylor stopped just at the corner, but she could have sworn she heard the car hit something. And from the angle she was sitting at, she couldn't see anyone out the window. And she was hoping and praying that she really didn't hit someone. Sitting horrified for a moment, she then jumped out of the car. She stepped to the front and sighed with relief. It looked like she had only run over a bad, judging from the strap sticking out from under the left wheel. What a relief. But then, what about the person…?

She turned her head, her eyes finally falling on the guy in the coat. He was on his knees and he looked like he was holding something. _Oh God please tell me he is not holding something else I hit!_ She thought. _Not something that is…or was…alive._ So she cautiously walked those couple of feet over until she was right behind him.

And she tapped him on the shoulder.

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Suspense much? So what will happen next? Only one way to find out!


	6. Finding Out

Here is the next chapter. Once again typed up right after the previous one due to my lack of life. Oh you know you wanna joke about it, I do it all the time. So why do I keep typing up here? Well, the story can't be the only one talking right? It could get lonely.

But I'm very happy that people like this story. I really hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint. By the way, did I mention I don't own HSM? Yeah, forgot to type that little disclaimer in the first three or four chapters. Bad me.

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Chad picked his head up and turned to see who was behind him. The brim of his hat covered his vision slightly, and likewise, the driver couldn't see his face all that well.

Taylor nearly jumped back when he looked at her. She kept thinking about what might have happened if she really hit someone. How would she live with herself? She gulped, but finally managed to get the words out of her mouth. "Are you alright? I didn't hit anyone did I?"

Chad was silent for a minute. No…it wasn't…it couldn't be. But he knew that voice anywhere. Even if looking up his hat covered his upper vision and part of his face, he didn't need to see her face to know. He knew it was Taylor. But he hadn't seen her in three years. What was she doing out here? How would she react if she knew it was him? What would she say when she saw Jasmine? So many questions were going through his head.

"Are you alright?" Taylor repeated when there was no answer. Normally she wouldn't show emotion. But when it came to driving and possibly hitting someone and injuring them – or worse – some emotion had to be shown. Worry. Sorrow. Angst. Anything in between.

But there was another reason Chad didn't answer right away. He couldn't talk in his normal voice. Even if it was a little deeper than it used to be, she would still recognize it. Now what was his disguise voice again…? Oh yeah.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He nodded in a much deeper voice.

"I didn't hit someone else did I?" Taylor asked hopefully.

"No you didn't." he shook his head. "I'm fine. Don't even worry about it."

Taylor sighed with relief. She looked around to see if anyone else was around, if they had been seen. No one in sight. Another relief. "Um…" she slowly turned back to him, "you're not going to tell anyone about this are you?" She tried to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal, that she didn't want anyone to think he was in a tragic accident. But her reasons were purely selfish. If anyone found out that one of the candidates for governor sped and nearly ran over someone, there goes her reputation and chances of winning the election. But even though, like so many of her other feelings, Taylor wouldn't admit it, it hurt her inside that she was being so selfish.

Chad stared at her for a minute. He could tell her reasons were selfish. But he couldn't say he blamed her. If Chad had stuck around to possibly become a famous athlete then his reputation would be down the drain if he nearly ran over someone. But as much as he hated her reason, he just couldn't hate her. He never had the heart to. Well maybe raising a kid did soften him up like that a bit, but he still couldn't hate Taylor.

"No, I won't. Secret's safe." He finally nodded. As Taylor replied with a nod of her own and began walking back into her car, she saw one of the ends of his jacket move. She raised an eyebrow, only to see a giggling little girl tumble out a minute later. Did she think it was all a game or something?

Chad looked at Taylor, and then switched his gaze back to Jasmine. "Well, I have to go." He quickly said as he picked her up. He started walking away, but was stopped by Taylor.

"Wait, let me make it up to you." She said. She moved the car forward a bit, just to be able to pull out the bag from underneath the wheel. She handed it back to him. "I'm sorry, I kind of destroyed your bag…" she apologized.

Chad shook his head and took the ripped bag. Not like there was anything in it now, but it was the thought that mattered. "It's alright. No big deal."

"Well, then let me take you where you need to go." Taylor said. After all, she knew she would be late for work either way. So she might as well do something good with her time until she got there.

"No, no. I don't want to be any trouble. I can walk there." He replied.

"You'll get there quicker if I drive you." Taylor insisted. She didn't even know why she was being so insistent. Was it because he was going somewhere alone with a little girl? Because she was scared she almost killed one of them? Or maybe it was because of this…familiarity. Just somehow, Taylor felt like she knew him from somewhere.

"Well…" It would give him an excuse to spend even a little time with her. Just to make up for a lost cause. And if she didn't know who he was, what was the harm? "Sure. If you insist."

Taylor nodded as she took a long look at him. "Yeah. I do." She agreed. She walked over to the driver's side and opened the door on the passenger's. Chad stepped in, holding Jasmine tight in his arms. Once all were buckled in, Taylor made a U-turn and began driving at a more normal speed. "I'm sorry, I should probably introduce myself. My name's-"

"Taylor McKessie." Chad answered for her. She briefly stared at him, but Chad looked down. "You're in the paper. One of the candidates for governor."

"Right." Taylor nodded. Of course, how else would anyone know her? But she couldn't be rude and not be told this man's name. "And you are?"

Chad froze. What was he going to say to her? She'd recognize his name, whether he used his first or his last. And then the jig would be up. He had to think, and fast. Wait a minute…his middle name. Taylor never knew his middle name. And he didn't even need to tell her his last name. Maybe he could still get out of this in one piece. "Bartholomew."

Taylor cocked an eyebrow. "That's…interesting." She answered. The name sounded to off, but she couldn't insult him. "And the girl's…?"

"Jasmine." He answered almost right away.

"That's a nice name." Taylor commented. "Is she your daughter?"

Chad nodded. "Yeah. Three years old."

"Do you need to drop her off at a daycare?"

"No, no. I take her to work with me."

"Should you really be doing that?"

"No one minds. She got all the leftover toys from kids meals once."

"Shouldn't her mother be watching her?"

"Well…"

Taylor stopped at the next red light and froze. "Oh…I'm sorry. She doesn't have one does she?" she realized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. That was uncalled for."

_No Taylor, you're her mother!_ Chad thought. He wanted to say it so badly. Couldn't she see the resemblance? They had the same skin tone, that dark tan African American like skin tone. They had the same hair, the same beautiful luscious black hair. They had the same eyes, that's what always caught Chad off guard. The same big brown eyes.

"No, it's fine." Chad said.

No, it wasn't fine. Taylor felt even guiltier now. If she had hit him then who would be left to raise the little girl? She really wanted to make things right. Maybe she could make it up to him. "No, it was rude of me." She said. "Here, let me take you home later. It'll be my way of apologizing."

No! Worse! She'd find out what kind of life he was showing Jasmine. "No, don't give it a second thought. We'll walk." Chad tried to get her out of it.

"No, please?" Taylor replied. "I want to do something to apologize. I won't walk in if it's unkempt, I won't ask for anything in return. I promise."

Oh man, how could Chad say no to her? And if she didn't take him home, then would this be the last time that he saw her or talked to her? Maybe he could do it…just this once. "Alright." He caved. He pointed at the area where he could be let off. "I can get off over here."

"You sure?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah." He nodded.

Taylor pulled over to the side and let Chad exit the car with Jasmine. "So, I'll just meet you back here tonight then." She guessed. "Eight good?"

"Yeah. Perfect." He nodded once more.

"Ok. Oh, at Bartholomew?"

Chad turned around, remembering to be called by that name. "Yeah?"

Taylor rolled down the window and extended her hand. "It was nice meeting you."

Chad nodded and shook her hand with his free one. "Likewise."

And with that said and done, Taylor drove off.

So eight o'clock came. Taylor had gotten in trouble for arrive late to work, but she swore she'd word a longer shift next time to make up for it, and explained the circumstances. All she had to do then was pick up Chad – or rather Bartholomew – and take him and Jasmine home.

"I'm sorry for being late." She apologized once the car was parked in the same spot she dropped them off.

"No, no it's fine." Chad said. "We weren't waiting that long." He got in and buckled up, cuddling a sleeping Jasmine in his arms.

"It must have been a long day, huh?" she observed as she drove.

"Yeah." Chad nodded. "Screaming kids, long lines, barely any time to eat…"

"You must be starving."

"Nah, it's no big. It happens at least once a week. You seem to have everything so much more together."

"Believe me, it's not as easy as it looks, juggling a job and a chance to be governor."

"Have you ever needed to juggle anything else?"

Taylor thought for a minute. She didn't know why, but there was just something about this guy that…well she couldn't put her finger on it. But she liked it. There was something so familiar. A weird comforting feeling. Though it seemed he never once looked at her, all he did was listen. It almost made her wonder what his face looked like.

"It's complicated." She finally answered. She looked around the area they were now driving in. The area was dark and most of the houses looked run-down. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Yeah. This is the area." He nodded. He pointed to where she should stop. "Right there."

Taylor slowly parked in front of the run-down apartment. "This is where you live? But it looks so…" She stopped herself. She didn't want to insult him. But the first thing that came to Taylor's mind when she saw the living area was that it was a place for a slut.

"It's not much." Chad admitted. "But it's better than the streets." He exited the car and took Jasmine. "Thanks for the ride."

"Yeah. Any time." She nodded. She watched as Chad headed inside.

Chad took his time. He turned around and Taylor was still there. Probably making sure he'd get in safely. But he really didn't want her to leave. There was so much he wanted to do…so much she would never let him do. But there had to be a way to keep her here, just for a little longer. So he did the first thing that came to mind. He deliberately hit himself on the head against the wall, managing to make it look like he walked into it. "D'oh!" he gasped.

Taylor covered her mouth. She turned off the engine and walked out over to him. "Are you alright?" she asked, leading him away from the wall.

"Yeah. I just…didn't see where I was going." He lied.

"Here, let me help you inside." Taylor offered. Chad nodded as they walked inside. But Taylor was more concerned with what the inside looked like. Everywhere she looked, all she saw was a mess. Nothing looked tidy or even close. There was barely any space. How did he stand living in such a small cramped area? She shook it off and lead Chad to the couch nearby. "Here, just sit down."

"I should put Jas to bed…" Chad started as he sat.

"I'll take care of it." Taylor assured him. She gently took Jasmine and looked for the room.

"That way, right next to the fridge." Chad escorted by pointing.

"Right. Thanks." Taylor nodded. She walked into the designated room and looked around. This room looked so much cleaner. Everything was more organized, like a real bedroom. Maybe the bed didn't look the most comfortable, but it looked like a more suitable living area compared to what else she was seeing.

She slowly walked over to the bed and tucked Jasmine in. She moved a stray strand of hair from the girl's face. But as she did, Taylor just stared at her. Something just seemed familiar. Like she knew her from somewhere before. But she never remembered having anything to do with kids, other than Gabriella's. Except for…. No, this was not her past coming back to haunt her. The past was the past. Chad was somewhere else and had done who knows what with the baby. It was of no concern to her. Taylor shook her head and left the room. "You look really warm in that." She told Chad, referring to the hat and jacket. "Maybe you should take them off."

She reached to pull off the coat, but Chad pulled away. "No, I'm fine." He lied. Ok truth was that he was boiling, but he couldn't let Taylor see who he was. But Taylor had already gotten a hold of his sleeve.

"Come on, you'll overheat." She insisted.

"No, really. Don't." Chad retorted. He tried pulling back, but it was no use. His grip somehow loosened and the jacket slipped down his shoulders and onto the couch. All that was covering his face now was the hat. He tried jumping back, but Taylor already reached out and pulled the hat off. Her eyes widened and she gasped at who she saw underneath the mask.

"Chad!"

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Snap, she knows! More suspense, huh? Ok, so it was another slow building like chapter. But you can't say after this you don't wanna know where it goes right? Well, maybe you can cause I'm no mind reader. So thank you once again for any reviews. If anyone has any suggestions let me know. Don't be shy. I will say more thank you's to reviews and such before the next chapter because I know you guys wanna see what happens and I don't wanna keep you waiting by blabbing on and on and on and on....


	7. Busted

…and on and on and on…. See? I blabbed all the way into the next chapter! That's what happens. So, this is the next chapter. Be prepared for some typical C&T arguing, or sorts like that. Don't worry, I'll combine names together when I'm good and ready. Anyway, quick thank you for reviews and enjoying the story. Rose of Hope, MermaidRam85, corbins wifey. Really hope I spelled everyone's names right there, cause typo's are no fun!

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And once again, anything HSM, not mine.

"Tay I can explain…" Chad started.

"What did I tell you? Never call me that." Taylor argued. "No one's called me that in years. And you've got no right to even see me. What is your problem? Do you think I'm that stupid and gullible?"

"No, of course not!" Chad insisted as he stood up.

"I can't believe I was actually…helping you!" Taylor gasped.

"Well I'm sorry, but it's not my fault I was almost run over." Chad said sarcastically.

"What happened to looking where you were going before crossing a street?" Taylor asked, still anger high in her voice.

"I did. Three times." Chad replied.

"And then this is where you disappeared to." Taylor concluded. "Why here of all places?"

"Where else was I supposed to go?" Chad asked.

"How about far away where I'd never be able to see you again?" Taylor questioned.

"Geez, I knew you hated my guts but I didn't think you hated them this much now." Chad started arguing.

"Well congrats, you finally had enough brains to figure it out." Taylor replied sarcastically.

"Well sorry I didn't die like you wanted me to!" Chad spat out.

Yeah, that had gone just a little too far. "Now you're putting words in my mouth." She said, glaring at him and trying to ignore the slight hurt in her voice.

"Well you sure acted like that the last time I saw you. You didn't even look at me." Chad replied. "And I was right there just trying to help you. So what did you do? Push me away as soon as it was all over. Only thing I don't get is why you didn't do it sooner."

"In case you didn't notice, I was busy at the time." Taylor defended herself.

"Yeah I did notice but I was trying to pay more attention to helping you get through it." Chad replied.

Taylor shook her head. "I should have just gotten an abortion when I had more of a chance."

"Why? So then you wouldn't have to deal with actually seeing her or hearing from me ever again?" Chad guessed.

_No, so you wouldn't be raising her in this kind of place!_ Taylor thought. That's what she wanted to say. Those exact words almost ended up being her response. But then it would make her seem like she cared. But did she really care? Well, maybe she did…. No! Taylor was not about to admit to that. The only person she had to worry about now was herself. And she wasn't going to let anything stupid Chad said change her mind.

"What do you think?" Taylor asked. That was her response. And that really made it seem like she didn't care.

Chad shook his head. "You know what, why don't you just forget it?" he asked. "Obviously you want nothing to do with us, so why don't you just leave?"

"Maybe I should." She retorted.

"Well then why don't you?" Chad blurt out. She stared at her long and hard and shook his head. "You know what, I don't even know why I thought you could ever care about us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Taylor interrogated.

"You didn't wanna look at Jasmine when she was born, you didn't wanna look at me before I left, you didn't let me explain my side of the story when I found out you were gonna have her…. You kicked us out of your life." Chad replied.

"So what do you want me to do about it now?" Taylor asked, not sure how else to respond at the moment. He had caught her off guard. And she had learned to be stronger over the years and to never reveal any emotion unless the situation called for it. So far she was doing decently, aside from trying to stop any hurt rising in her voice.

"Maybe un-kick us outta your life or something?" he asked.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "You mean, kick you back in?"

"Ok, that too." Chad muttered. "Or at least try to have a part in our lives."

"I didn't plan on it then and I don't plan on it now." Taylor said immediately. "Give me one good reason why I should stick around when I've got my own life to think about."

"Maybe because you're her mother and she needs you in her life?" Chad replied.

"I mean a reason that's not so obvious!" Taylor argued.

"Well how about that she actually has your name?" Chad nearly yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked. "She does not."

"Yes she does." Chad said. They stared at each other and Chad paused, nearly taking a deep breath before he spoke again. "Jasmine _Taylor_ Danforth."

Taylor blinked. She had not seen that coming. "Excuse me?" she asked out of shock.

"I actually filled out a birth certificate before I left with her that day." Chad said. "The J came from my mom's middle initial. So her middle name came from you." He shrugged and shook his head, nearly staring at Taylor blankly. "And here I thought you'd be thrilled."

"How much stupider could you have gotten from the time I left to the time she was born? What were you thinking?" she demanded.

"I was thinking that maybe someday we'd actually be a real family." Chad blurt out once again. There he said it. But why stop there? keep going! "I was thinking that maybe someday you'd actually want a part in her life or that one day she'd actually have a mother who cares for her. Or that if something happened to me she would still know who one of her parents was." He shook his head, "But I guess none of that is ever gonna happen is it?"

Taylor was silent. She had no idea how to respond. She didn't even know that there was another reason behind the name. Not like Chad would mention it now, but what was she supposed to say? And she was not about to show some kind of weakness at a time like this. And as far as she was considered, she had nothing to even apologize about.

When he didn't get an answer Chad shook his head again. "You know what, just forget it." he decided. "Why don't you just go to your fancy mansion where you belong. I'm sure you've got someone waiting there for you anyway." He turned his back to her and walked into the other room.

"Semi-fancy condo, thank you very much!" she corrected him. But no response. Chad was done arguing for the night. Taylor just shook her head and walked out. But what she didn't know was that it wasn't going to be the last time.

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Yup, there was all that arguing. So what do you think? Did you see any of that coming? Well, I was kinda watching Flight 29 Down at the same time as I was typing this, so I guess I didn't see half of it coming either. ^^' By the way, don't own that either. So, the next chapter should be up later today, and if we're all lucky, the next chapter as well. I'll be updating AMAP (as much as possible). Anyone use that acronym? Ok, I'ma be quiet now and get back to typing.


	8. The Call

Ok so there's a bit more arguing in this one. But hey, that's what they do at some point right? It's like a wrestling match you can't take your eyes off of. Anyway I'm trying to slow down a bit with uploading all the different chapters because I like hearing from people. Is there anything more you wanna see? Well, maybe you should read this chapter and let me shut up.

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"Hello, this is the Albuquerque Adoption Agency. How can Tripe A help you today?"

Taylor held in a sigh. On the other line the woman sounded so perky. But Taylor knew this had to be done. It was for their own good. "Yes, can I please speak to your foster care division?" she finally replied.

"Yes, ma'am. Let me patch you through." The woman responded.

Taylor tapped her fingers against the table, patiently waiting for a few minutes. Part of her was telling her to hang up right now. Maybe she was making too big a deal out of this. Looks can be deceiving after all. But the other part of Taylor was trying to say that it had to be done. He couldn't keep raising a child in the condition they were both in. Not when they had almost nothing to live for.

"Albuquerque Foster Care. What can we do for you?" a voice on the other line asked.

Taylor sighed as she forced herself to explain. "There's someone that I know raising a three year old on his own. And I think that she'd be better off in a better environment with more of a real family."

"Wait a minute…Taylor?" the voice on the other line asked.

"Wait, how do you know…?"

"It's me, Ryan!"

"Ryan Evans?"

"That's me!"

Taylor gasped. Ryan Evans from high school! She never would have guessed. "You work with a foster care?"

"Yes I do." Ryan replied proudly. "Also work hand-in-hand with the adoption agency. They let me put on shows for the kids every week. They love it." He raised an eyebrow, "But wait, why are you calling?"

"I found out something yesterday." She answered. "There's this guy and he's raising his daughter in a run-down part of town. You should see the place, it's a wreck and everything. And the little girl looks in decent health but her father is so much worse. He actually disguises himself." Ok, right then and there Taylor could have given away Chad's secret. But she just couldn't do it. What she was going might haunt her later on, she didn't want something else to along with it. And what was worse, was that things from her past were haunting her just the same.

"Do you wanna give me any details?" Ryan wondered. Now he and Taylor were never really close. They were acquaintances, decent friends. But not the kind that always talked on a daily basis. So he'd understand if she wanted to keep most of it confidential, especially if it was one of her own friends she was just trying to help.

"Let's just say he's someone we used to know. And if he keeps living the way he is there's going to be no one to raise his daughter." Taylor said. "Can you please do something?"

Ryan rubbed his chin. He turned his chair over to a calendar, as well, as a list of other places they had to hit throughout the week. "Well I can't promise there'll be anything there right away…" he admitted. "I mean, we reached a record number of calls these past couple of months so we've been booked." He snapped his fingers and took out a pencil and some paper. "Tell you what, just give me the address and I'll be there as soon as I can with some other guys so we can get the job done. Do you want me to call you when we get through with that?"

"No, it's fine Ryan. Thank you." Taylor replied. She gave him all the information he needed. Ryan nodded as he wrote everything down.

"Got it." he replied. "Don't worry, everything's gonna be taken care of. We'll make sure there's a better home for her than some slums. Do you wanna give us any specific names?"

Taylor bit her lip. He was really testing her now. But what should she do? "Let's just say his initials are C.D." she answered.

"Close enough." Ryan gave in. "Thanks for the call Taylor. And good luck with that election." With that, he hung up.

Oh crap, the election! Taylor had almost forgotten about that. She still had major research to do if she wanted to relate to the people. They weren't going to go for someone who they didn't relate to, right? Right. They needed someone who focused on the issues and were no the same page as them. Forget about whatever was going on with Chad and their – rather his – daughter. The race was much more important.

"You are so dead!" Taylor yelled as she stormed into Chad's broken down house later that day.

Chad jumped off the couch. He never would have expected to see Taylor back. Let alone so soon. "What are you talking about?" he replied as he stood up and faced her.

Jasmine looked up from a slightly ripped coloring book and looked back and forth between the two.

"Actually thinking you and her can survive in an environment like this. What is wrong with you?" Taylor yelled.

"Me? What's wrong with you?" Chad replied. "This is technically my house. You can't just come barging in here!"

"Oh believe me, plenty more people will come barging in here whenever they want. Have you looked outside?" she argued.

"No one's barged in here yet except for you!"

"This is a deserted area! The only other people that would be living out here are hobos or robbers or something. They'd be out to steal and guess what? You could actually have something they'd want to steal!"

"I doubt it. Besides as long as they don't take Jas, I'm happy."

"That's the first person they'd go for!"

"So why do you think I sneak around with her under a large coat? I don't just do it for my health Taylor. I do it to protect her!"

Taylor shook her head in disbelief. "What is wrong with you? Do you ever stop to think?"

"All the time." Chad answered. "And I always get the same answer. And that's my daughter. I keep her room cleaner than anything else around here. I make sure she gets better hygiene than I do. I protect her every time I walk out the door and I've never left her alone. I try to give her more things than I do myself. What do you think? That I'm saying all this for my health too?"

"Well why didn't you just give her up like I asked?" Taylor replied.

"Because as soon as I held her I couldn't let her go." Chad nearly yelled. "But you can never understand that can you? You never once in your life held her or showed that you cared about her. You didn't want anything to do with her. And the last words you said to me were 'just go away'. You think you were the only hurt back then but you weren't."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Taylor lied.

"So you think I wanted to get lost." Chad assumed. "Well newsflash, I didn't. I went to you because I was worried about you and I wanted to make sure you both were going to make it through that ok. I made Gabriella call every time she left after checking on you because I was worried about you and I wanted to know how you were doing. So now you're gonna hold all of that against me, just for caring? Just for actually taking responsibility for once in my life?"

"Why are we having this stupid argument? I was never hurt Chad. I didn't want anything to do with you anymore. I trusted you and you turned and disobeyed that trust. You slapped me." Taylor fought.

"Again, which you never let me explain." Chad defended himself. "And don't lie to me, I can tell when you're lying. You know I know you better than that."

"Well don't think I need something from you, because I don't."

"Then why are you still here?"

By now it was just a staring contest. They both stared at each other, neither one giving in. All they did was move their heads to get a better look at each other. And even though neither one said anything, they both had different thoughts going through their heads.

_So why is she still here? I thought for sure she wouldn't come back when she left yesterday. And man was she steamed. But she looked so cute when she'd mad._ Chad thought. _No man, just get it together. She hates you remember? Look, she's even giving you that look right now. With the evil eye and everything. But oh man, does she have to make it look so cute?_

_He's right. Why am I still here?_ Taylor thought. She just couldn't figure it out. It was all an involuntary action. _It's certainly not because I'm worried about him, because I'm not. In a matter of time there's going to be nothing more to worry about anyway. Because some people will come and put the girl in foster care and Chad can move on with his life. He can get out of here and…. No, no no! What are you thinking Taylor? Don't you dare think like that. You're the one putting your own daughter in that foster care. _That's right. She wasn't just going to hurt Chad with her actions, but she was going to hurt herself.

For a brief moment, hers and Chad's eyes locked. And she thought for that brief moment she could see so much more in them than he led on to believe. There was feeling and emotion in Chad's eyes. He really did care. Taylor couldn't tell him that she made a call now, just to take Jasmine away. It would crush him. So the only thing to do would be to wait it out and try to make it seem like nothing ever happened. Or maybe to just let him spend as much time with her as possible. But that didn't mean Taylor shouldn't have some fun for herself, right? The election slipped her mind once more and Chad was the only thing occupying it.

_So why are you still here?_ The question repeated itself in Taylor's mind. And Chad was still staring at her, so there was no way he forgot the question. So now all she had to do was answer it.

"To take you out. You look like you need a bit of a manly makeover."

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Wow, who saw that coming? I know you must hate reading what i have to say about everything so I promise to shorten it up a bit. And honestly, half the stuff that happened in this chapter, such as an overcrowded foster care, dunno if it could ever happen. But in this story it can. So, feel free to review. I do not bite, promise! And if anyone wants a mushy scene ASAP then no need to worry, be prepared for one soon. How soon? You'll just have to wait and find out!


	9. Caught Up

Ok, the last chapter probably didn't go over so well. It was like one of those spur of the moment deals. So what's gonna happen with the "family" now? Well, for those of you who have been wanting a real mushy moment that isn't a flashback, all I'm gonna say is be prepared!

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"I don't know about this Tay." Chad said the next day as he sat in the passenger seat of her car. "I mean, I'd never be able to pay you back for anything."

"First of all, you still have no right to call me that." Taylor scolded. "And second of all, don't make a big deal out of it. And let's face it, you need a change in your wardrobe."

Chad chuckled. "Since when did you become such a girl?"

"I am a girl." She rolled her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I can't act like one once in a while." She pulled into a parking spot at the mall and got out of the car. "So what are you waiting for?"

Chad exited out with Jasmine in his arm. "What about Jas? Is she gonna get anything out of this?"

"You sorry too much. Can we please tackle one person at a time?" Taylor asked.

Chad sighed and reluctantly nodded. "Alright." He agreed. He followed Taylor inside and they began bouncing from store to store. Taylor had to admit, she was quite impressed with Chad. Every time a jacket was slipped onto him, he would wrap one around Jasmine so she felt like she'd have a part in it. Was this what Taylor had been missing all these years? A real family moment like that?

Eventually, numerous shirts and pants were piled into Chad's arms. Jasmine was gripping onto his pants leg, since Chad had no available hands for her. "Taylor how am I supposed to try all this on? This is gonna take forever."

"Oh grow up." She teased. "Just go into the dressing room and I'll wait for you out here. And then just step out and flash what you look like so I know whether to buy it or not."

"So now just cause you're paying for everything you have a say on what I can and can't buy?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Alright. But if I'm gonna do this then can you please hold onto Jas while I'm in there? I haven't exactly been out shopping in three years and I doubt they're gonna let a little girl in the men's changing area."

That sounded simple enough. How hard could it be to watch a three year old? "Sure. No problem." She nodded.

Chad nodded and smiled slightly. He knelt down towards Jasmine and put all of the clothes on one knee, holding them with one hand. "I'm gonna be in an out for a few minutes Jas, alright? So I want you to wait out here for me ok?"

"No!" she shook her head violently, actually responding with words for the first time in a while. Her voice was a bit high and squeaky, but how else was a little child supposed to sound?

Chad chuckled and gently loosened the grip she had on his shirt sleeve. "Don't worry kiddo, ok? Your mo-" he stopped himself when he almost realized what he just said. What was he thinking? He couldn't refer to Taylor as Jasmine's mother. What has she done to prove she was? Even if biologically it were true. Chad briefly glanced at Taylor, and it seemed as though she knew what he was going to say. She had a hesitant look on her face and Chad paused. He slowly turned back to Jasmine, trying to figure out how to rephrase it. He sighed as he merely said, "Taylor's gonna hold onto you while I'm in alright?" He gently nudged Jasmine to walk over to her, which she slowly did. Chad looked at the girls for a moment and then went into the changing room.

Taylor watched him leave and looked down at Jasmine. She was staring at the room; it really looked like she wanted her father back out now. She started walking back over to the room when Taylor quickly grabbed her, though kept her grip as gentle as possible. Hey, she remembered it was just a little kid to deal with.

"No, you can't go in there. He'll be right out, I promise." She said softly. When Jasmine stopped struggling to walk forward, Taylor gently picked her up and held her in both of her arms. Jasmine cuddled in deeper, as though it were a much smaller bed to her, and rested her head on Taylor's shoulder. Taylor paused and looked down at her. So this is what she really had been missing. This was the real family moment that she never had. And as far as Taylor knew, it would be the last one they could have. But that didn't mean she should ruin the moment. Even if she couldn't apologize for the call she made, she could still apologize for not being there.

Taylor gently rubbed her head against her daughter's – yes, hers – and held her closer. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"So, what do you think?" a man's voice asked.

Taylor looked up to see Chad exiting the dressing room. She was quite taken back, actually. The Chad she'd seen the past couple of days looked nothing like the one she was looking at. And if his hair wasn't tied back right now, she wouldn't be surprised if people started gathering to find out that Chad hadn't disappeared. But she had to admit, he looked…well, fine. Not just fine. But _fine_. A beige shirt was underneath a velvet black jacket, almost looking as though it resembled a tuxedo, and a pair of black pants matched the jacket perfectly.

For a moment she just stared, unsure of how to react. Chad's arms slid down the collar of the jacket, and it only made Taylor wonder how much more muscular his arms must have gotten underneath those sleeves. He didn't even look like someone who had been living in the slums for three years. He really looked like a man who knew what he was doing. For that moment she had forgotten everything bad that happened between them. She could only picture Chad in that outfit. Smiling. At her. Like he used to…. Wait a minute, what was Taylor thinking? She couldn't be thinking like that. Not now. There was too much else to be concerned with. She hadn't even answered his question. Oh man, what was it again…?

"I think…" she nearly stuttered as she took in all of his features once more, "…I think you look great." Taylor lowered her voice, "Like you've never gone missing."

Chad chuckled faintly and looked down, almost a bit embarrassed. "Yeah well…" he picked his head up and saw Taylor holding Jasmine close to her. In her arms. He looked back and forth between the two of them. "Taylor…you're holding her…" Chad realized.

Taylor felt her cheeks burn a bit. She tried turning her head away and nodded. "Yeah. I guess I am…" She waited a minute before turning her head back to Chad. "And I think you've got a keeper." She added, referring to his outfit.

Chad smiled at her comment. But he thought she meant something else. "Yeah." He agreed. "Guess I do."

So once all of the other clothes were tried on, they headed to the cashier to pay for everything. Chad was holding all of the outfits while Taylor held onto Jasmine. Chad placed the clothes on the counter and looked at Taylor to pay for them.

"I kind of have my hands full…" Taylor said as she looked at Chad. She tried handing Jasmine over to him so she could take out her credit card. But to their surprise, Jasmine clutched tight onto Taylor's shirt, refusing to let go. "No!" she gasped again.

Chad jumped back with shock and Taylor only stared at her wide-eyed.

"Well, looks like someone doesn't want to let go of her mama." The cashier giggled.

"No…I guess not." Taylor replied slowly. It surprised her just as much. She never would have thought the little girl she left behind would be so attached so quickly.

"I'll get it." Chad offered. "Where is it?"

Taylor turned to Chad. "The credit card is in my wallet, second compartment as soon as you open it." she told him. "In my jeans pocket, the one on your side."

Chad nodded, showing he understood. He slowly slipped his hands into the jeans pocket. It sent a chill up Taylor's spine. Hey, it was right by her waist and that area hadn't been touched by Chad – or any other guy – in so long. But she couldn't show her uneasiness. Not now in public. She just played it calm and let Chad pull out the wallet. But Chad didn't feel that comfortable either. He swore, he could almost feel her skin against his even if it was just a daydream to him. But as soon as he pulled the wallet out that vision was over. He pulled out the credit card and handed it to Taylor. Managing to take it with her free hand and signing for the clothes, as she was on a better angle for that than she was to pull it out in the first place, she then handed it back to Chad which he put back in her pocket. He took the bags and they walked out of the store.

_Just play it cool,_ Chad thought, _and act like nothing ever happened in there. _"So do you think we can get something for Jas while we're here?"

Taylor held in a sigh of relief. So he wasn't going to comment about what went down back there. Well, maybe nothing happened, but to them it felt like so much more of a big deal. But thank god he didn't bring it up. "I only brought one credit card," she replied, "and I don't have enough money for that many clothes for her."

Chad nodded, hiding the disappointment in his voice. "Oh, I see. Well, maybe next time."

Too bad there would never be a next time. But by then Taylor had forgotten all about it. She smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah. Next time." She agreed.

By the time they got back to Chad's home, Chad was walking inside and laughing. "I can't believe I was actually driving today." He dragged the bags inside. "I mean, my license is gonna have to be renewed in a few weeks but I haven't driven a car in a while now."

Even Taylor couldn't resist holding in a giggle as she followed Chad in, still holding Jasmine. "Well, someone wouldn't let go of me." She said innocently. "I couldn't drive and hold her simultaneously."

Chad put the bags down. He smiled and shook his head. "I have never seen her get so attached to someone so quickly. I just can't believe it."

"Yeah. Neither can I." Taylor admitted.

"Maybe we should get her to bed." Chad suggested. He could already tell she was asleep on Taylor's shoulder.

Taylor nodded in agreement and walked into the bedroom. Chad followed behind her. Taylor gently placed Jasmine in her bed and Chad tucked her in. He smiled at his little girl and kissed her cheek. "'Night Jas." He said. He smiled and walked out of the room. All Taylor could do was watch him leave. It surprised her. She never knew Chad could care so much about one little girl. One little girl that she forced on him, but still. Her gaze turned back to Jasmine. She moved a strand of hair out of her face and pecked her on the forehead. "Sleep well hun. Ok?" she whispered. Then she walked out to see Chad sitting on the couch.

"Anyway…thanks for the 'manly makeover'." He said, using air quotes.

"It was nothing. Really." Taylor replied. "Is it ok if I use your bathroom really quickly before I leave?"

"Yeah, of course." Chad nodded. He watched Taylor walk into the room and close the door behind her. He looked around the room, which was still as messy as ever. He blinked when he saw Taylor's purse sitting beside him. Not that Chad was a snoop or anything, but he opened it up a little under the assumption that he saw something sticking out of it. At first all it looked like was a gold chain. It dangled on one of his fingers for a moment before he slowly pulled it out. Chad couldn't believe it. It was that necklace, the one with the C and T linked together. The same one he had given her when they dated.

_She kept it all these years?_ Chad thought. It was just so unbelievable! But at the same time he couldn't feel more relived. _So she does still think about me. She hasn't completely kicked me out of her life!_ His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Taylor walk out of the bathroom. He quickly closed the purse and left the necklace in it, though that didn't stop a portion of the chain from falling out.

"Thanks Chad." She said. "I should probably get going now. I still have a lot of work to do." She reached for her purse when Chad stopped her.

"Taylor wait." He said quickly.

She quirked an eyebrow and stayed where she was, looking at him. Chad just stared back at her, not saying anything just yet. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. And so many thoughts ran though his head. But he was short of mind about what to do. Finally, after what seemed like ages of just blankly staring, Chad rose from the couch and before he knew it, his lips were against Taylor's. He didn't even think or hesitate to do anything. He was caught up in the moment and pushed her against the wall, which in retrospect wasn't even far across from room from the couch. But his arms were on her waist as he refused to pull away.

For that moment, Taylor was wide-eyed. What in hell was this boy doing? Where did it suddenly come from? She just couldn't believe it. How had she led him on? There was no way they could be like this. Not now. But she couldn't find it in herself to break the kiss. She remained in the moment and kissed him softly, almost allowing her arms to slide across his back. Taylor was in her own world now, one she hadn't been in for three years. And she didn't want to get out of it. She was now wondering why she had ever been so angry. Oh yeah, now she remembered. This couldn't work out, it just couldn't. So that's when she suddenly pushed Chad off of her.

Chad backed away, almost losing his balance and falling over. "What was that for?" he couldn't help but ask.

"What do you think you're doing?" Taylor gasped.

"I thought I was kissing you." Chad replied, standing straighter.

"Well that's where you're wrong. We were not and no way are we doing it again. Where did you get such a boneheaded idea that you could just grab me and kiss me like that?" she insisted.

"You mean you didn't want it?" Chad asked, confused.

"And why would I?" she questioned.

Chad walked over to Taylor's purse. He pulled out the dangling necklace that was hanging out.

"You went through my pocketbook?" she gasped.

"No, this was just hanging out of there." He said defensively. "But if you didn't want anything to do with me then why are you carrying this around?"

"I just found it in my car and put it in my pocketbook a few days ago." Taylor answered. "I didn't know what else to do with it."

"So this is all a big misunderstanding then." He said sarcastically. "You have this with you for the past who knows how many days and instead of throwing it out to prove you wanted nothing to do with me you just kept it that close to you?"

"Believe me, if I could have thrown it out then I would have!" Taylor argued.

"So why didn't you?" Chad asked.

Honestly, she couldn't answer. If she did answer then Chad would prove her wrong. Her answer would be, "because I couldn't". But Taylor could never tell Chad that. It would be thrown right back in her face. And the only reason she did kiss Chad back was because she was caught up in the moment. She wasn't thinking. None of this was her fault.

"You know what, just forget it." she replied, grabbing the necklace from him. "It's none of your business."

"Then go ahead and be that way. See if I care." Chad replied. He sat back down on the couch and faced away from Taylor.

"Fine!" she yelled back. With that she stormed out of the room and outside to her car. She got in the driver's seat yet didn't drive away. She just rubbed her hands against her arms and shook her head violently. What had just happened in there? She pushed him away again, that's what happened. Taylor may have not known if the kiss was just from the necklace or from Chad's own desires or even a combination of the two, but she knew that just as she had gotten into it she had to push him away. If Chad was trying to tell her something that wasn't just about the necklace, then it was no different from the day she pushed him out of her life. He was just trying to express feelings for her, to show that he was trying to help her. And what did she do? Look away and told him to get out.

And for the first time since that happened, Taylor let her emotions show. Maybe not drastically, but more than she had in the past years. A single tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away, forcing herself not to let any more fall. But what was Chad trying to imply back there? That she hadn't let him go even after all this time? Taylor had pushed him out of her life so how could she have held onto him? Of course, that was it. The yearbook. Taylor could recall looking through it almost every other night and could never take her eyes off of any pictures with Chad in them. And the fact that she kept the necklace he gave her so close to her for the past couple of days. And the fact that she kept coming back to him.

Taylor slowly let go of herself and looked at the piece of jewelry. She couldn't remember the exact day or year that Chad had given it to her but she didn't care. Because she hadn't taken it off in the entire interval until she kicked him out. And even now she couldn't seem to go anywhere without it. A sigh escaped her as her eyes were slowly lifted from it. "What am I doing?" she asked herself. Answering in her mind, Taylor got out of the car and walked back inside.

She walked in quietly and cautiously, only to see Chad now asleep on the couch. For the first time she felt like she was actually looking at him. He looked so beat, so exhausted. Even if his eyes were closed, somehow Taylor could see them clearly. They held nothing but exhaustion, hard work, and love. Everything Chad had done was for his daughter. No, not his. _Theris._ Taylor sighed and just leaned against the doorway, gazing at him. In his sleep Chad just seemed so peaceful. She stepped inside, as though she was no longer controlling her own actions. Taylor stopped in front of Chad and looked down at him. She moved some bangs ot of his face and her hand slowly moved backwards until it reached his ponytail. She slowly pulled his hair out of it and his curly afro was revealed for the first time in what felt like forever. Her fingers went through the bush of hair, and her other hand fell on his chest.

Chad mumbled in his sleep a bit before his droopy eyes slowly opened, even if it was just a little. All he could see above him was a beautiful girl just watching him. "Who's there?" he asked sleepily.

Taylor shook her head. "Sssh," she whispered, "don't worry about a thing. Just get som rest. Please."

Too tired to say much else, Chad obeyed and let himself fall back to sleep.

Taylor watched him for another moment before slowly climbing onto the couch. Once again, she was caught up in it and there was no escaping. She could hear Chad lightly snoring and feel his chest moving up and down as he breathed. She gazed at him for anohter moment until she gently pecked him on the cheek. "Goodnight." she whispered in his ear. Then before Taylor knew it, her head was resting up against Chad's chest and she fell asleep on top of him.

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Yup, that's chapter nine for ya. Gotta love those family moments, huh? So what's gonna happen when they wake up? It'll be revealed soon. But all I will say before the next chapter comes up, is that I told you there'd be a mushy-like moment (or something like that) in this chapter. Stay tuned for more!


	10. Broken Home, Family, and Hearts

Ok like I promised the Author's Notes up here are gonna be much shorter. That's what you guys want, right? Less blabbering and more reading? Ok then. I'm really happy people are liking this story. The thank you's shall be at the bottom at the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoyed the moments in the last chapter, cause the story's about to take a dramatic turn. _Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuun

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_

The next morning seemed to come so slowly. Taylor found it hard to wake up when she was sleeping so well. It was quiet odd really; she hadn't slept that well in a while. Maybe it was the slow and steady rising of Chad's chest she'd been sleeping on, or the pace of his heartbeat. Maybe it was sleeping in a home that wasn't hers. Yes, an actual home. It was where a family was, wasn't it? Unlike her own abode which was just a condo with her work. But this was different. And it took Taylor a while to actually wake up. As soon as she did her eyes fell on Chad. She smiled warmly and gently ran her fingers through his hair. He just looked so peaceful when he was sleeping.

But the sleep didn't last long. Chad twitched a bit, only because he felt something on him. To say the least, it was just waking him up. A faint moan came from him, but Taylor only thought it was cute. Yes, after all this time it took her this long to see it in him, even remember why she first fell for him. But even though Chad was waking up she remained where she was, not making a rush to get up and sneak out.

Chad's droopy eyes slowly opened and he could see the same thing he did last night: someone on top of him. It was just that calm and relaxed feeling, that there was nothing for him to worry about. His vision slowly cleared up as he woke from his slumber. Wait a minute, that wasn't who he thought it was. Not a beautiful guardian or some kind of angel. It was Taylor. But that didn't stop the smile that formed on Chad's face.

"Taylor? What are you doing here?" he asked. Just like that, any anger from the argument the two had last night was gone.

"I guess I just couldn't leave." She admitted. "I'm sorry, I know I should have-"

"No, don't apologize." Chad cut her off. "I'm glad you stayed."

Taylor smiled at him. Maybe it was time to really put the past behind them. If they were like this after one night, what would they be like if they lived together again? They could be a real family. Bygones could be bygones. Taylor knew she couldn't leave Chad again.

"Chad, there's something I need to tell you." She said.

"Really? Because there's something I need to tell you." He replied. They both sat up and looked at each other. Now Chad could finally explain what happened when he found out. He could let her know. Maybe there was still that chance she'd forgive him.

But before either had a chance to say anything, their heads turned to the door as they saw it burst open. Two men in uniform barged in and began looking around the house, going through everything.

Chad looked around the house, trying to figure out what they were doing. "What's going on?"

That's when Ryan stepped inside. He paused for a minute when he saw Chad. He recognized him from high school. "Chad? You live here?" he asked.

Chad got up and walked over to Ryan. "Ry, what are these guys doing? It's not like I have anything to hide."

"Then why is this place such a wreck?" Ryan asked him. "Look man, I'm sorry, but I got a call a couple of days ago. I was told this was the place to come."

"Come for what?" Chad asked.

"Wait, are you the one who's raising a child here? This is where you disappeared to all this time?" Ryan realized.

"Well I…" he stammered.

Taylor held in a gasp. Oh sh…wait, she couldn't curse with a child in the next room. What would be a good replacement? Oh crap? Yeah, that'll work for now. Oh crap!

She got up and walked over to Chad and Ryan. "Ryan is there any way you can call this off?" she asked.

Chad blinked at Taylor. "You knew about this?" he gasped.

"She's the one who gave me the call." Ryan said.

"You did what?" Chad exclaimed. It was hard to tell what emotion was higher in his voice, anger or pain.

"Listen, I can explain." She tried.

"How could you do this?" Chad continued. "You know what I said about her. Without me she has no family. I'm all she's got."

"Chad listen to me." Taylor urged. "This was when I first realized it was you living here. You raising her. Jasmine can't grow up in this environment."

"So then why are you taking her away from me? She's all I've got and you know it."

"That's not true. You have me."

"How can I have you when I can't trust you anymore?"

"What?"

"I had a disguise, alright? But it was only for protection. And I knew that if you ever saw me again it'd be worse than when you left. That's why I couldn't tell you who I was until you found out. And even then through all that fighting you kept coming back. I couldn't understand why, but all I knew was that all this time I wanted you to come back. Part of me was just hoping even a little that you would."

"I did come back."

"Yeah well it wasn't for the reasons I thought it was for."

Taylor just stared at him doubtfully. She could see the anger and mistrust in his eyes. And in hers, for once, it was nothing but hurt. She didn't know what else to say now. Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw one of the men carry Jasmine out of her room. He was struggling to get loose.

"You're not taking her anywhere!" Chad insisted. He tried getting his hands on his daughter again, but the second man held him back.

"I'm sorry Chad. Believe me, I never like doing this." Ryan said calmly. "But it's only to find better homes for kids who need them. And I really think that you're not right for this."

"Yes I am!" Chad insisted. "Without me, Jas has nothing."

"Just calm down." Ryan tried. "I'm not in this to break families apart."

"Yeah well you're three years too late for that." Chad replied coldly. Even from the corner of his eye, a death glare was easily sent towards Taylor. All Taylor could do was look at the ground and move her head away from Chad. She didn't want to see his expression right now. It hurt enough just thinking what it must look like.

"Just give it time ok?" Ryan asked Chad softly. "I'll see what I can do about this but I can't promise you anything. The only thing I can promise is to find the perfect home for her. That's all I'm here for." He tried putting a comforting hand on Chad's shoulder, just to show him that the job wasn't always fun when it came to the kids. "I know how much it must hurt. And I can't say that doing this hurts me as much as it hurts you, but it still hurts." He looked over to one of the men who was taking Jasmine into the car. Once again she struggled to get loose, and her eyes were watery. If it weren't for the lump in the little girl's throat and her being so scared she would call out to her father right then. Ryan walked back over to the car and as soon as he was in, the second man let go of Chad and went in as well.

Chad shook his head in disbelief as the car started moving away. How could he let this happen? He couldn't let them get away with this. He was going to get his daughter back. Somehow.

Taylor looked at him solemnly, afraid of his reaction if she spoke. But if she knew when she made the call that all of this would happen, she never would have done it in the first place. She waited for a minute and took a silent deep breath. Her voice became quiet and actually sensitive. "Chad I-"

"You know what, forget it." he replied coolly refusing to look at her. "Maybe you could care less and maybe Jas is nothing to you, but to me she's all I've got. You knew I was doing my best for her and I guess none of it was good enough for you. I don't even know you anymore."

Chad ran out of his home, doing his best to try and chase after the car. Maybe he could figure out which direction it went in somehow. Either way he had to catch up with it, or find out where it was going. He was getting Jasmine back one way or another.

Taylor could do nothing except watch him leave. She didn't know what was wrong with her now. Why did she feel so empty? Clearly she did feel guilty. All of this happened because of her. But why was she hurting even more when Chad talked to her? Was this how he felt when she left him? Taylor just shook her head, having no idea what else to do. She put her hand over her mouth and sat down on the couch, finally letting her tears freely fall.

And it wasn't too long after that before in the distance a faint crash was heard.

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Not a very happy ending to the chapter. Looks like the happiness flew south for the winter temporarily or something. But give it time, the story ain't over yet. On a lighter note, I'm glad people are enjoying this story, and my one fanfic prior to this. As far as this one goes, thank you Rose of Hope, Corbins Wifey, MermaidRam85, ObscureHeartache, and Always-Here-Imani. Next chapter to come shortly!


	11. Confession

Ok, since I am still technically on vacation that should be plenty of time to update this story. So, I'm thinking of uploading two or three chapters a day which will hopefully lessen the suspense for some of you. I don't have much else to say up here except that I do not own anything mentioned in this story (except for the Lion King movies, as brought up in chapter four. XD).

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"I'm coming, I'm coming." Gabriella called about an hour or so later as she heard the doorbell ring. She left the living room and went through the kitchen to open the door. Yes, their front door was in the kitchen instead of the living room but remember this is Troy's and Gabriella's house we're talking about. Like a change of scenery for a common household or something. Anyway, back to the story. Gabriella opened the door and saw Taylor standing there. But she didn't look like the same Taylor Gabriella had known all these years. She actually looked like she'd been crying. That wasn't like Taylor at all.

"Tay what's wrong? Is everything alright?" Gabriella gasped.

"I told you not to call me that anymore." Taylor shook her head in response. She wiped one of her eyes and stepped inside. "The last person to call me that was Chad and he still can't take a hint about it."

Gabriella blinked. She didn't know anything about Taylor and Chad for the past few days, so she wasn't aware that he didn't really disappear. Not to mention that she hasn't heard Taylor mention Chad in so long. What would suddenly make her bring him up?

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Taylor just shook her head once in disbelief, still trying to piece everything together that's happened so far, and accepting that nearly all of it was her fault. "From the second he called me that I told him not to. And then every time he called me by my name I could just see that he wanted to shorten it so badly."

"Taylor what are you talking about?" Gabriella repeated.

Taylor turned to face Gabriella. Her eyes were red and puffy, and it almost looked like she was trying to refrain herself from biting her lower lip. "I found Chad." She confessed softly.

Gabriella's eyes widened. "You what? But he…you…didn't he…?"

"Disappeared three years ago, I know." She finished. She sat down at the kitchen table with her hands in her lap. "Somehow I just…found him. And I didn't know it was him at first, he was disguised. And then I found out…"

As Taylor stopped in midsentence, Gabriella shook her head. She could tell that Taylor wasn't in a complete talking mood right now. It was one of those feelings where she wanted to say something so badly but nothing could come out. Gabriella brushed some hair out of her own face and sat herself across from Taylor. She was the last person to talk to Chad…until now. And she was the only person who knew what he was going to do with his life. And Gabriella knew that anything that had to be said about the last three years had to be said by Chad, not her.

"Taylor? Did he have anyone with him?" Gabriella asked quietly, also trying to sound as calm as possible. That was difficult to do, since even in her voice there was a slight shaky tone. It was just as hard for Gabriella to believe that Chad wasn't missing, that he actually might be back. And if this caught her by surprise, and if it was enough to get Taylor emotional, Gabriella could only picture how Troy would react. This was his best friend they were talking about, who was like a brother from the time they met as little kids.

"Yeah. He did." Taylor managed to nod. She didn't say anything else right away, but could feel Gabriella's eye on her. She knew her best friend well, and there would always be a way to make one of them talk. They were like sisters, knowing their ways almost mentally with each other. But after a long pause, it looked like Taylor let out a sigh and added, "A little girl."

Gabriella's eyes widened once more. "Was it…?"

She didn't even need her to finish that question. "Yes."

"Well, how are they?" she asked eagerly.

"They're not anymore." Taylor sighed.

"What?" Gabriella stared at her friend in disbelief.

Taylor slowly picked up her head to look at Gabriella. "About three days." She spoke. "That's how long I've talked to Chad since I saw him again. About three days ago. He wasn't living in anywhere near a good living condition, Gabriella. If you could only see the place…it was a mess everywhere. And Chad almost looked on the verge of seeming awful but Jas…"

"Your…I mean, his daughter?" Gabriella inquired. She doubted that Taylor wanted to be reminded that along with kicking Chad out of her life she pushed her daughter onto him.

Taylor merely nodded. "She looked so much better than him. She looked so much healthier and happier…and her room was the only clean room in their entire living area. Chad was doing everything he could to make sure she was healthy and happy and never took his eyes or mind off of her for even a second." Taylor paused once again, as though she were trying to figure out how to continue and fighting off her emotions again. "He chose to keep her, Gabs. Chad didn't give her up even when I gave him that option. Jasmine could have been living an even happier and healthier life with people who actually acted like her mother and father and could have even given her a sibling by now. But Chad wanted her to know at least one of her parents. And you could tell just from looking at him that she meant the world to him. And her name…he gave her my name Gabriella. _My name._ My name is her middle name, so she has that impression that she's always got a part of me with her even if I wanted nothing to do with her."

"So what happened?" Gabriella wondered. She knew this had to be going somewhere. Taylor kept using the past tense. Did something happen to Jasmine or Chad? Were they not a family anymore? Or less than they had been?

"What happened? I happened, that's what happened." Taylor answered, hurt rising in her voice once again. "One day I meet them Gabriella. I take one look at their place and see the disaster area all over, I found out who they are, and the next day I'm calling the adoption agency. I called the foster care division so they could take Jasmine away from Chad and find her a better home."

"You did what?" Gabriella exclaimed. She never thought Taylor would go so low. This was completely unbelievable. Why was she doing all this? Because she was mad? Because she had been hurt? Now even more questions were roaming through Gabriella's mind.

"They just came to get her. And Chad had to be so stubborn he just mindlessly chased after the car to try and catch up to them." She replied, tears threatening once more.

"What did you say about Chad?" a man's voice asked. The girls turned their heads to see Troy with his son in his arms. Had he overheard the whole thing? Those bright blue eyes of his were filled with shock as he walked over. "What have you guys heard about him?"

Jamie tugged on his father's sleeve, even if his arms were still wrapped around the boy. "Who Chad?" he asked.

"He's a friend of the family." Gabriella answered her son softly. "Kind of like an uncle."

"I gots a Uncy Chad?" Jamie asked.

Gabriella managed to giggle. Leave it to a small child to cheer up any situation even the slightest bit. She nodded at Jamie and looked up at Troy. "He's not missing Troy." She told him quietly, knowing this was so unexpected for him. According to Troy, he saw Chad as dead. He didn't hear from his best friend at all in three years. So if there was no contact what were the chances of him being alive? So much for that assumption. Gabriella's eyes locked with Troy's as she continued. "Something's been going on with him and Taylor for the past couple of days. He's not missing. He's living in some kind of secluded area with his daughter and now she's being taken to foster care and Chad's going after them."

"No he's not." Troy shook his head.

"Troy yes h is. I saw it for myself." Taylor argued.

"He's not." Troy insisted. "Not according to the news."

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"There was a report about a car accident about fifteen minutes or so ago. It was a brief recap of it, and it happened almost an hour or more ago." Troy responded. "There was a guy running in the street and as he was running in an intersection there was a car that didn't see him. It stopped short and swerved only to crash into another car, but that didn't stop the guy from getting hit. They reporter described him to be dark in skin color, tall, and had abnormally bushy brown curly hair. It was Chad, I know it was. And he's in the hospital now."

Both girls were shocked and wide-eyed. And then Troy overheard almost everything they were talking about. He must have been staring at the TV in alarm that entire time until he heard them. Gabriella turned to Taylor. She bit her tongue before she started talking, trying to be brave for her friend. "Taylor…as much as I know you really need to talk to someone right now, you have to go." She said. "I'm not the one you should be ready to pour your heart out to. It's Chad."

"If he's still conscious…or even alive." Taylor replied. Not even waiting to say another word, she gathered herself out of the seat and rushed out. She couldn't remember the last time that she'd been this scared.

The hospital was a scary place. Everywhere Taylor looked there was a nurse pushing someone on a stretcher. People were waiting on their loved ones and wondering every second if they were ok, if they would make it. Everyone in there had a serious injury or a horrible sickness. But to Taylor, none of those could compare to what Chad must be going through right now. He was losing his daughter to a foster family in who knows how long, and probably on the verge of losing something even more precious that Taylor feared for most – his life.

Yes she was nervous, and yes she was scared. And she couldn't even figure out why. All of those emotions just toyed with her mind as she played everything back from the day before in her head. Seeing Chad looking so spiffy, so much better than when she first laid eyes on him after three years…. Jasmine clinging to her as if she knew Taylor was her mother…. That kiss she and Chad shared that made so many thoughts run through her mind, and making her feel so happy yet surprised at the same time…. Seeing Chad asleep on the couch and suddenly having all these different thoughts of him…. Falling sleep on top of him and waking up first thing in the morning to his smiling face….

Taylor wiped her eyes and shook her head. She wasn't about to get caught up. Not again. She had to see if Chad was doing alright. She had to see if she could make anything up to him. And she had to see if she could get him and Jasmine back as a family again…even if they didn't want Taylor in it.

After talking to a lady at the front desk, Taylor looked around for Chad's room. She finally found it and through the doorway could see Chad lying in bed, though from the position of the bed he appeared to be sitting up slightly. He looked so exhausted. There were wires connected to what looked like almost every area of his body and there looked like there were numerous cuts and bruises on him. Taylor took a deep breath, clutching her hands tight together, before slowly walking in. Even if she could have been mad at him right now, she couldn't find it in her heart to be. Not seeing him like this.

"Chad?" she asked softly.

Chad didn't move his head, but his eyes turned to look at her briefly. The second they fell on her, his eyes moved back to the front of the room.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'd be better if you left." He muttered.

Taylor nearly grabbed her chest, right where her heart was. Well, then again maybe she deserved that one. She tried to shake it off as she took a step closer.

"I don't wanna talk to you right now." He said coldly. "This is your fault and you know it."

"Chad please-" she started.

"Don't even start with me. All of this happened because of you." Chad replied in the same tone. "You kicked me and Jasmine out of your life. You wanted nothing to do with us and you could care less where we were or anything. You had to run into us again after all this time and you just had to butt in and force some suits to take Jas away." Not once as he spoke did he even looked at Taylor. Chad's eyes were on the wall across the room the entire time. "You never meant anything you said to me. None of it. You hated me for no goddamn reason when all you could do was not let me explain my side of the story, you kept barging into my house and yelling at me, and you think you can make me forget it all and make me fall for you again by taking me out and seducing my daughter to thinking you're her mother when you knew the next day she'd be taken away."

Taylor shook her head. She didn't want to hear any of this. She'd never even heard Chad like this before; it was so out of character. "I wasn't trying to trick anyone. You kissed me, not the other way around. Jasmine held onto me on her own will and not because I seduced her, and last I checked I was her mother. And I never knew when they'd be coming to get her."

"Only because you tricked me with that necklace, making it stick out in the open like that. And you've got no right to call yourself a parent. You never wanted Jasmine in your life, let alone anything to do with her. And that's not the point, the point is that you still knew and you thought you could take your mind off of it and make everything better by distracting me." Chad nearly yelled.

Taylor wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. And she was trying to hard to keep everything bottled up inside when now all she wanted to do was just fall into Chad's arms and spill everything out to him. But she knew he'd never let her do that now, not with the way he was speaking to her. Was this how he felt when she forced him to leave?

She felt her hands shaking and she bit her lip so at least any threat of tears would be vanquished for the time being. But she had to know if Chad meant all this. She had to know if he was going to be ok. Taylor finally let herself ask, "What are you trying to say?" in a really soft voice.

"I'm saying that I want you to get out." He answered bluntly. "To just get out and never let me see you, talk to you, or know anything about you ever again."

Yeah, that hurt. Now she knew this was how Chad felt when she made him leave. And she couldn't feel guiltier about it. She merely nodded and turned away, ready to leave.

"But before you do that…" he quickly added.

Taylor stopped walking and turned her head slightly towards him.

"I want you to get Jasmine tomorrow and let me see her. That's the only thing I wanna be able to do before anything else happens, is see my daughter." Chad finished.

"You make it sound like you'll be dead before sunset tomorrow." Taylor observed quietly.

"So what makes you think I won't?" Chad asked icily. "I'm sure you'd love the idea of it."

Taylor shook her head. "If only you knew how wrong you were." She whispered. Not even sticking around to find out if he heard her or not, Taylor walked out. And with every step she took she could feel another piece of her heart breaking off.

* * *

Well that wasn't very happy. But remember, the story's still not over. And who wants an unhappy ending for a story, right? So what do you think so far? Next chapter should be up later tonight or early tomorrow. So let me guess, one of the questions you have on your mind is 'what's gonna happen to Chad?' Well, i'm still figuring that out myself. Paralysis, broken arm/leg, fracture, death...hopefully not death! Too depressing. Ok, I'm gonna stop blabbing now and get started on the next chapter.


	12. Visiting

Ok, last chapter of the evening. Don't worry, i promise there'll be more to come tomorrow. Now I've had a lot of different ideas on how to write this chapter, so I've finally decided to let it build up into an emotional one. See if anything in here surprises you.

And once, again I do not own HSM. But man, how cool would that be right?

* * *

After Taylor calmed down, she searched for the address of the foster care agency. She had to talk to Ryan; she knew he'd understand. She'd take Jasmine to see Chad for a couple of hours, and then take her back. And then probably never see her or Chad again…. Taylor sighed as she closed the address book and rubbed her forehead, pushing some bangs up onto her hands. This was torture. She just wished she could turn back time and fix everything. She wished she never made that call in the first place…no, even more than that. She wished that her family could be a real family, instead of living the way they were. Yes, she was thinking _her_ family. Everything was still so clear in Taylor's mind. Finding out, breaking the engagement, breaking the family….

Picking her head up, Taylor looked at one of her hands and realized her hand was tightly grasping something. She'd been like that almost all day now, and somehow she'd been too oblivious to realize it. Yes, her hand was numb as she tried opening it, but Taylor ignored the feeling and forced it open. Laying in the palm of her hand was the bracelet. For a moment she just stared at it. So many thoughts ran through her head. Wearing it around her neck, finding it in the car, Chad finding it…the last memory of it she saw was putting it in the glove compartment of her car and gently closing it.

Taylor shook her head and snapped out of it, finally letting out a sigh. "I was never able to let it go was I?" she asked herself. She closed her eyes and shook her head, knowing it was true. "Not like it matters anymore. Chad's let go by now. So now it's my turn. I'll give you back to him tomorrow."

Yup, she was losing it. Talking to a necklace. The conversation was cut short as Taylor got up and left her condo. No more talking to inanimate objects, even if it had only been for five minutes. Taylor had to see Ryan. And one way or another she was taking Jasmine to Chad first thing in the morning.

"I really don't know if I should let you in here Taylor." Ryan admitted as he pulled out the keys to a certain room in the building. "I don't want any of the kids to get their hopes up."

"I'm not trying to bring anyone down Ryan." Taylor shook her head. "I just need to see Jasmine. Chad's in the hospital and the last thing he said to me was that he wanted to see Jasmine in the morning. Ryan, this is his daughter we're talking about. If the worst really does happen to Chad then he'll never have a chance to see her again. Even more so than if she were placed in a foster family. And I don't want her last memory of her father being him stuck in their run-down house while she's being taken away which will slowly fade as she starts calling someone else her father."

"Ok, you really shouldn't say a lot of stuff like that in one breath." Ryan stated. He slowly put the key in the door, obviously the lock and key thing being a way of keeping the children on the other side safer or at least out of trouble. "But let me just ask you this. Why do you care so much?"

"It's a long story." She sighed.

Ryan quirked an eyebrow before turning the key. "Look I don't know what's going on between you and Chad. At all. So I need nothing but the truth here. That you're only doing this for him and his daughter. And obviously if you know that her mother isn't in the picture then this must be important."

"He's her only family Ryan. This has to be done." Taylor replied. "A memory of seeing a father in the hospital happy to see his own daughter will be much more valuable than one of her father being held back helplessly and unable to protect her from being taken away."

"But you're the one who made the call in the first place. Why work so hard now to try and fix things when nothing can be done?" Ryan inquired.

Taylor paused for a minute, unsure exactly of how to answer him. "Let's just say that I've had a lot of regrets in my life Ryan." She answered. "And if I don't do something about this then this is going to be one of those things I'll regret the most."

Ryan slowly nodded. "I'll pretend I understand that." He said. "But since you are a friend-like person, I don't see why you can't be trusted with this. But there's going to be a curfew involved."

"Of course." Taylor nodded. She stepped into the room as soon as Ryan opened the door and the second she stepped in, something tackled her leg. Taylor looked down to see Jasmine grasping it tightly. "Daddy…" she moaned.

Taylor sighed and slowly shook her head. She reached down for Jasmine and gently picked her up, holding her with one arm as she placed her finger under her chin. "He's not here right now. Your father's really hurt. But I promise, I'm going to take you to see him tomorrow and he's going to feel so much better just seeing you."

So maybe Jasmine didn't understand every word Taylor was saying. But something about her words just calmed her down a bit. The three year old wrapped her arms around Taylor's neck and refused to let go.

Taylor took a deep breath as she entered the hospital the next morning. It was fairly early, just after breakfast. Sure, she promised Chad that Jasmine would be there first thing, but the whole curfew agreement didn't start until eleven. She was just hoping Chad would understand that. Taylor held Jasmine close to her, rubbing her back with the acknowledgement that even to a child anything seen in a hospital could seem scary.

She finally reached Chad's room and slowly stepped in. She cleared her throat quietly so she and Jasmine's existence would be acknowledged. When she saw Chad look up and over at them, Taylor carefully placed Jasmine on top of Chad at his bed. "There's someone here who wants to see you." She said quietly.

Jasmine cheered and hugged her father. Chad smiled and rubbed her head, but his other hand remained on the bed at his side. "Hey kiddo. I'm really glad to see you here." He sounded pretty tired, but he wasn't going to let that stand in the way of a little family time.

Taylor just smiled weakly as she looked at the two. She could see such a resemblance between the two. Jasmine shared so much with her father: their energy, their strong upper body strength, their laugh, their smile…. God how alike they looked right now. It was a real family portrait, if it weren't for the setting, wires, and hospital bed. But Taylor was never going to be a part of that family picture. As far as she knew, Jasmine's mother died when she pushed her out of her life, before even getting to know her. Taylor has barely showed any emotions for the past three years, and now she was experiencing the consequences of hiding them all that time. She couldn't take it anymore.

"I'll just leave you two alone then." She said softly. Luckily, neither of them seemed to hear her. Taylor slipped into the hallway, on a bench just across from the room. Not exactly the smartest thing she's done, but it was the closest area she could just go and sit, to just be alone. She sat down looking at the ground for a moment, then turned her body and tilted her head so her forehead was up against the wall. She didn't bother to let anyone move her and she didn't look up to answer anyone. She just sat there with her eyes closed and letting herself cry once more. Hopefully for the last time.

But once nearly two hours past, the curfew Ryan set for keeping Jasmine out was almost up. Taylor had to force herself off the bench and back into Chad's room. She had to take Jasmine back. And get kicked out of Chad's life.

"We have to get going now." She told Jasmine softly. "I promised I'd have you back soon."

Chad looked away from Taylor and at Jasmine. "Guess this is bye then." He told her. "Just promise you'll be a really good girl."

"Kaykay." She nodded before letting Taylor pick her up.

Chad still refused to look at Taylor and Taylor could do nothing but sigh. "Don't worry, you don't have to say anything." She said, still speaking softly. She knew if she spoke louder it would really sound like something was wrong. "I'm leaving, just like I said I would. You won't have to deal with me ever again. That was the deal." When Chad said nothing, Taylor sighed to herself. She reached into her jacket pocket where she held the necklace in all day. She took a long look at the piece of jewelry, even as Jasmine tried to get her tiny hands on it. Taylor then clutched it tight in her hands and it was out of the little girl's reach. She then put it down on the table beside Chad's bed.

"I just wanted to give this back to you before I left. You can do whatever you want with it. It's yours now." She said quietly. Not even waiting to see Chad's expression, Taylor turned on her heel and started heading towards the door.

Chad glanced at Taylor, then at what she put down. "Wait a minute…that's the necklace. But you kept it all this time. Why are you giving it back to me now?" he asked her.

Taylor stopped walking as she hit the doorway. She clutched Jasmine tight, trying not to show that her shoulders were beginning to shake. "Because there's nothing else for me to hold on to." She chocked out.

Chad blinked, not understanding what she meant. And Jasmine looked up curiously. She had actually noticed that Taylor wasn't in the room with her and her father the entire time, and now she was rushing to leave. Oddly enough, she understood that something was up. There was no reaction from Chad, but Jasmine actually opened her mouth to speak. "Mommy?"

Chad's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe his ears. And neither could Taylor. She gasped, and then took that oportunity to run. It didn't matter that she was tightly holding Jasmine in her arms, she just had to run from Chad. She couldn't stand to see his reaction. She just knew that it had made him mad. He was going to start thinking that Taylor was poisoning Jasmine's mind. Taylor knew she didn't do anything, but she didn't want to see Chad get angry, especially when it would be the last time she sees him.

"Taylor?" he asked, watching her leave the room. He realized she was actually running and called, "Taylor! Tay!"

Taylor didn't hear him. She just kept running. She kept going until she reached what appeared to be a fairly deserted hallway. Barely any rooms, and no doctors or nurses passing by. It was the perfect place. Taylor slid up against the nearest wall and just collapsed onto the floor, letting herself cry. She thought she was done with this by now, she'd done almost nothing but that since yesterday. Why couldn't see stop? And all she had with her was Jasmine in her arms, who was just looking up at her and wondering what was going on.

Chad tried to get out of his bed. He had to go after her, he wanted to know what was going on. Did Jasmine know Taylor was her mother? And why did Taylor sound so upset? It couldn't be what he said yesterday, could it? Maybe yesterday Chad was mad, but it was also a way of getting payback as it was what Taylor did to him. But he never meant to hurt her like that. Not again. Chad tried getting out of his bed once more. "Taylor!" he called again, hoping she'd rush back into the room. No such luck. Chad shook his head and forced himself up, slowly managing to get onto the floor. He squinted in pain from the cuts and bruises he had on his body, and reached his left hand to grab his right shoulder. Man, it felt like there was nothing below that joint! But he couldn't be bothered with that right now. He had to catch up with Taylor before it was too late.

"Tay? Taylor?" Chad called as he started running down the hall. Ok, maybe it wasn't exactly running...more like very slow jogging or a fast walking. He didn't care how much it hurt, he just kept pushing himself forward. He was almost stopped by a couple of nurses, but Chad refused to let them take him back to his room. He had no idea how, maybe by some miracle, but he managed to lose them. Hey maybe in real life it couldn't happen, but this is a story. Therefore, Chad miraculously escapes the nurses. Moving on now.

Chad finally reached the secluded area, running short of breath. Still no sign of Taylor. But he had to keep going. He was just hoping she didn't leave yet. He turned a corner, almost running out of hope. Maybe he really did lose her. Oh man, now she'll never come back. Wait a minute...there she was! Just as Chad turned the corner, there was Taylor on the ground. "Tay..." he sighed with relief as he nearly collapsed beside her. He put his left around around her and held her close.

Taylor had no idea what was going on, just that someone was by her side. At that point she didn't care who it was. It was a shoulder to cry on, the arm around her was comforting, so she took the opportunity. She let her head fall on Chad's shoulder and just kept sobbing.

"It's ok Tay. I've got you." he whispered, refusing to let her go now. "I've got you."

They were like that for a while. The track of time was lost and the three just stayed there. Jasmine in Taylor's lap, Chad beside Taylor with an arm around her, and Taylor's head on Chad's shoulder. Finally, she slowly picked her head up and looked at Chad. "What are you doing here?" she whispered, calming down a bit. "You should be in bed."

"I came after you." Chad replied softly. "You left the necklace by my bed. Why did you do that?"

"I already told you." Taylor replied.

"But what did you mean?" he asked.

"Yesterday you told me that you'd never want to see me again." she answered. "And even after the other night, it still felt like you didn't want anything to do with me. You let go of me. So why should I hold onto something that you gave to me when you don't want me?"

"I didn't mean it." Chad said honestly. "I was just mad. I was mad at you for doing what you did and I blamed everything that happened on you. And I shouldn't have done that. So I just treated you the same way you treated me that day."

Taylor shook her head. "You had every right to blame me. You're right. Everything was my fault."

"So why did you make that call?" he asked.

"I don't even remember anymore." Taylor admitted, shaking her head. "We were arguing, and I saw the pigsty you were living in. At first glance it just didn't seem like you were raising Jasmine right at all. but you really were. You put her before everything else that you did and I could tell that she means everything to you."

"She's my only family, Tay. And I'm all she's got. What else was I supposed to do?" Chad asked.

Tay. Man it sounded so good to hear him say that again. "Nothing else." she shook her head.

There was a moment of silence. It actually felt nice, the two of them being like that. And they had a daughter - their daughter - right beside them. But then Chad broke the silence. "I bet she knew all along."

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

"Jas called you her mother. She wouldn't let you go when we were at the mall. I bet she knew that entire time who you were." Chad replied.

"She couldn't have." Taylor shook her head.

"I know she did." Chad replied. "So that's why I need you to promise me something. If anything happens to me, I want you to raise Jas."

Taylor nearly sat up as she looked at Chad. "Excuse me? Do you really think that you're going to-"

Chad gripped his left hand around her shoulder tighter. His look was completely serious. "Promise me, Tay."

All she could do was nod. "I'll do anything I can to make it happen." she agreed. Another moment of silence. "Do you really think you're not going to make it?"

"The doctors keep telling me I will," Chad answered, "but it just doesn't feel that way to me. I'm a wreck over here. Everywhere you look there's gonna be some kind of scar."

Taylor had to admit, he had a point. His face, his arms...nearly every visible part on Chad's body had a mark from the accident. Wait...his arm. Chad didn't move his right arm the entire time. "Your right arm looks really limp." she noticed.

Chad took one glance at it and nodded. "I haven't been able to feel it at all. I can't move it or anything." he said. "They say it's paralyzed. And I have no idea what I'm gonna be able to do with only one arm."

"You can do everything." she assured him. Letting Jasmine sleep in her lap, Taylor moved her left arm to gently rub his right one. "So you won't have a real arm anymore. It will probably be amputated. But you can get a new one. You can do everything with it."

"Too bad I still won't be able to feel anything with it." Chad said with a sad smile. He watched Taylor's hand gently move up and down his arm. Man he wished he could feel it right now, the gentle touch of her skin against his.

"Sure you will." Taylor replied. "Think of back when we used to date. Think of how it felt back then. If you can remember it from then, you can recognize the feeling now."

Chad looked at Taylor, and then at his arm again, then back at Taylor. A warm smile crept onto his face. It felt just like the old days. "Yeah. I remember."

Taylor looked up at him. It was so nice to see him smile again. She smiled back. Did this mean things were finally turning around?

"Tay...I need to tell you something." Chad said. "About when I-" He was interrupted as a nurse ran over to him.

"You need to get back in your room!" she scolded. "You can't be out here in the hallway. You need your rest!"

Chad rolled his eyes and let the nurse help him up. Taylor shook her head slightly and picked Jasmine up, the stood up on her own. "I'd better get Jas back now." she said.

"Yeah." Chad nodded. "So, are you gonna come back?"

"Do you want me to come back?" Taylor wondered.

"Yeah. I mean, if you wanna come back."

Taylor took a long look at him before she nodded. How could she not come back? They really needed this. And if she didn't come to see Chad and something happened to him, she would never forgive herself. "Yeah. I do." she agreed.

"Cool." Chad smiled. Not like he had a chance to say much else before the nurse forced him back to his room. "Well...see you later!" he called.

Taylor smiled until he was out of sight. She sighed and looked down at Jasmine. "One of the real family moments we've had in three years, and you were sleeping through the whole thing." she said quietly. She gently kissed Jasmine on the head and then walked out of the hospital.

That night Taylor stopped by Chad's place. It still looked the same as when she left it. She just wished that she would have been able to take Jasmine here with her. It felt so weird being here by herself. And she couldn't help but wonder what Chad wanted to tell her. She had no idea that she was about to find out what he was hiding. When she left Chad the necklace she said it was because she needed to let go of him. Too bad that Chad had never let go of Taylor.

There was a closet in the living room. Taylor had seen the living room itself, Jasmine's room, and the bathroom. But there was that one closet in there, and Taylor had no idea what was in it. Perhaps it was wrong to snoop, but something just drew her to it. She reached out for the knob and slowly opened it. She gasped in disbelief to see what was on every shelf.

A red scarf...a bracelet...pictures.... They all had to do with Taylor. Every picture in that closet had Taylor in it or was Chad with Taylor. There was that bracelet that he gave her when they started dating after college. There was that scarf he gave her for her birthday one year. She couldn't believe her eyes. He kept these things all these years...? And all Taylor kept was the yearbook that she could never seem to stop going through and that one necklace. Through her involuntary actions she could never let Chad go. And all this time he held to her even tighter than ever. And giving Taylor's name to their daughter...that had to be a sign.

Taylor's eyes went up and down the shelves onces again. But wait a minute...what was that? It couldn't be.... She slowly reached up to the shelf and pulled out a single ring. Yes, it was! It was the engagement ring that Chad gave to her. But she left it with him on his bed before. And he kept it all this time. Taylor had no idea what to think of it. Was it sweet? Was it sappy? Was it amazing? Was it surprising? Ok, she was losing it. All she could do was look at the ring and reguse to take her eyes off of it. And she couldn't bare to put it back down in the closet.

So she slowly slipped it onto her finger. At least this way if anything did happen to Chad, then no one else could ever have her.

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Ok, writing this took way longer than I thought. Sorry for that, I was distracted by Life With Derek and Flgiht 29 Down. No, I don't own those either! Anyway, hope this one went better than the previous chapter. I am really appreciating the reviews as well. Hope you keep enjoying the story! More to come tomorrow.


	13. Time to Tell

Sorry it took a little longer to get this chapter up. I would have done it in the morning, but my laziness took over. ^^' Oh come on, I can't be the only person who gets lazy right? Anyway it's up now and that's what matters. I'll try and get the next one up today as well. Enjoy!

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Chad's gaze slowly fell down to his limp right arm. He had a long talk with the doctors yesterday after Taylor left. They explained everything to him about getting an amputation. They said it would take a while and that it'd be expensive, but by the time it would all be over Chad would have a new arm. They tried reassuring him that he could do anything with it like he could with two real arms. Well, maybe remove it for another arm if it couldn't be in the water.

Chad shook his head. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was on the verge of getting a new arm that wasn't even real? What was it, like mechanical or something? There's no way it would be the same. What if he miraculously got to be with his daughter again? It would freak her out to see her father looking like a half robot. She might not even let him touch her. And if he could ever be with Taylor again, what would that be like? Every time he touched her there'd by nothing but cold metal on her skin instead of his own. She wouldn't be grabbing the same hands that she used to.

Chad thought back to the day before when Taylor came with Jasmine. Man, she made him feel so much better about it. He could still remember how he felt as she stroked his paralyzed arm. Even then Chad could almost feel something. But with a fake arm, he'd never feel anything. He didn't know if he could deal with it. He was just wishing that all of this was a nightmare now. A nightmare that had been going on for three years. Chad shut his eyes tight just wishing none of this was real.

He could picture it already. He'd be waking up in a bed beside Taylor only to see her smiling face. They'd say good morning to each other and then help each other out of bed before going downstairs. They'd see Jasmine down there begging for some bacon or something for breakfast and Taylor would giggle and get started right away. Chad would go over to the table and pick up the newspaper, only to turn to the comics for Jasmine and laugh along with her. And the second Taylor would need help with cleaning up or anything around the house, Chad would jump at the chance to offer her his hand. And then when all was said and done they would go to the park for some family time, just the three of them. They'd push Jasmine on the swings and watch her go higher and higher. And when they'd get home Chad would look for any messages on the answering machine. Even if there'd be one from a basketball or baseball team he'd pretend he had never heard it just to be with his girls. And then he'd offer to baby-sit Jasmine as Taylor would go give a speech to the Senate or something. Oh man, how good life looked when his eyes were closed. It felt like nothing bad had ever happened.

"Having a good sleep lunkhead?"

Chad smiled and moved in his sleep a little. That voice sounded so soft. He sunk deeper into his pillow as he felt a hand move gently through his hair. "Mmmhm."

Good. Just keep on resting. You need it."

Who was that? Such a soft voice. So calm. So feminine. So content. Realizing that everything Chad had been seeing was a dream, he slowly opened his eyes. There was Taylor, sitting by his bedside and gently stroking his hair. She was looking at him warmly and had a smile on her face. Man, how happy he was to see her.

"Morning Tay." Chad smiled.

"More like, good afternoon." She corrected with a giggle. "But hey yourself."

Chad tried to sit up a little, but only ended up sliding just slightly up the bed so his head lay further towards the top of his pillow. "You came back."

"You asked me to. I couldn't say no." she replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." Chad shrugged, even though his right shoulder only moved slightly.

Taylor cocked her head over to that arm and then looked back at Chad. Her expression fell and she looked at him with sympathy. "What did they say about your arm?"

Chad sighed. "'Replacing it is the only option'." He quoted what they had said. "I have to get it removed and get a new arm. All they have to do is call someone and wait for an open appointment. And then I have to send bills every month afterwards to pay for it."

"What do you mean?" Taylor wondered.

"Yeah, like they'd really give it to me for free." Chad said sarcastically.

"Not that." She shook her head. "Don't they know about the financial slump you must be in? Where you've been living or what you've been going through?"

"They don't give much a damn about that." Chad replied. "Bottom line is that I can't go out with one strong arm and one non-functional one."

"Have they told you how much everything is going to cost?" Taylor wondered.

Chad sighed. "They only gave me an estimate, and it depends on the doctor or whoever operates on me. They said I'll be lucky if I can get away with paying a total of five thousand."

"Five grand?" she repeated.

"It's just an estimate." Chad said. "But let's face it, there's no way I'm even getting half of that. And if it costs more I'm outta luck. I'll be paying bills until I'm dead and buried and even then it won't be paid off."

Taylor sat up a little straighter, nearly removing her hand out of his hair. She had to think for a minute. There was no way she was going to let Chad get away without the operation. He needed it. And what about the rest of his body? Taylor could still see the cuts and bruises, but Chad was more worried about losing an arm. Every other scrape on him didn't seem to matter. She knew he must be hurting from it all and that he was just acting brave about it. But those could all heal so much quicker than an arm. And it wasn't even just a broken arm they were talking about. Complete paralysis. Practically below the shoulder was nothing. There had to be some way to help him. Taylor just had to think of one first.

Well, she could bring back all of those clothes she got him. But then how fair would that be to Chad? Her thoughts exactly. But maybe she had things in her condo she could sell. Maybe she could trade in her car for a cheaper one or something, get some money back. Have a garage sale, or work two side jobs instead of one? Maybe it would even have to come down to selling the condo. But would all of it really be worth it? She took one look at Chad and nodded to herself. Yeah, it would be. And as far as her running for governor went, she could just briefly finish that article she'd been meaning to do and then focus on Chad.

"I'll pay for it." she spoke up.

Chad looked up at her and blinked. "What?"

"I'll pay for your operation." Taylor repeated. "I'm sure there are plenty of things I have that I can sell. I'll even sell my condo. It may not be that expensive but it didn't come cheap either. We can do this."

Chad shook his head. "Taylor, no. Don't drag yourself into this."

Taylor rolled her eyes. And she thought she was stubborn. But it looked like she was going to have to do this the hard way. She stood up and clutched Chad's left hand tightly in both of hers. She looked at him with a serious look and her tone was firm and insistent. "You listen to me right now Chad Bartholomew Danforth." Man that felt good to say. Next time she got angry at the guy she knew exactly what would make her feel better. "Nothing you can say is going to change my mind. I don't care how much you're against it, I'm doing something about it. Now I am the one that got you into this so believe me, this is the _least_ I can do. All I can ask is that you get the best deal you can for this. And even if you can't I will still find a way to earn enough money for it, even if it takes years after everything's said and done. But there is no way you're backing out on getting this done. Do I make myself clear?"

Dang, when was the last time Chad heard her be so assertive? Oh yeah, hardly ever. But man, she looked so cute acting that way. So straight-forward and persistent. Even though every time Chad would get yelled at he would try and make a comeback somehow, there was no way he could do that against Taylor. Especially not now. She was making sure she'd get her way on this one way or another. And for a moment Chad thought there was more to it than just insistence. It almost sounded like she really cared, that she really wanted to help him. Now that would make Chad's day more than anything. But deep down it just didn't feel right to him. But what else was he supposed to say about it?

He finally nodded in response to her question. "Crystal clear."

Taylor nodded and sat back down, but kept her grip still on his hand.

"Why are you even gonna go through all that?" Chad asked. "It's not like I deserve it."

Taylor sighed and shook her head. "Yes you do. Look at everything you went through. You've spent all this time trying to make a safe, normal living for you and Jasmine. You've put her before anything else that you do. You haven't taken any of those offers after you left because you were so busy just trying to raise her. And we both knew that every time there was a phone call from some kind of coach or manager you'd jump at the chance to take the job. But they gave up on you after you disappeared. Even now after you reappear they don't care. They don't think you've got any game left. But for you to raise a daughter alone in a dark and secluded area, while it was incredibly stupid, you couldn't have more game in you."

Chad may have been lingering on her every word, and he may have been listening, but that still didn't stop him from saying what was on his mind. "But I hurt you."

Taylor shook her head. She didn't want to hear this now. The memory came painfully back to her and she remembered why she left him in the first place. And this wasn't the time or place to be reliving it. "Chad…" she started.

He didn't hear another word of it; he just kept talking. "I was angry and scared. I was angry because when I found out you were expecting I had to find out practically half way into it. It felt like you couldn't trust me right away to even tell me as soon as you found out. And I was scared, ok? I didn't know how to take it that a baby was coming and we weren't even expecting it. I didn't know if I was ready to be a parent, that's the only reason why I reacted the way I did." Taylor tried to get up and leave the room, But Chad managed to grab her hand with his before she could get too far. "That slap was nothing more than me being stupid. I just wanted to get out and take everything in at my own pace. I wanted to go out and just think things through. I wanted to go out and give myself all the reasons that we were ready for this and that it didn't matter we were only months away from getting married at that point. The second that I hit you I knew it was wrong. I tried apologizing but you just ran to the bedroom. And I thought right then and there about going after you and explaining. But then I thought your reaction would be the same. That you would push me away and refuse to hear anything I had to say. That's why I walked out. So instead of just preparing myself in my mind for a kid I was thinking of all the ways I could possibly make it up to you. I walked all over, thinking about what to say and what to do…. But it didn't even matter anymore. Because by the time I got back you were gone."

That entire time Chad kept his voice tone the same. Honest. Sincere. A little hurt and a little shaky at points, but otherwise the same. He just looked up at Taylor, waiting for her reaction, even if her back was facing him now.

"So then why did you come when you found out it was time?" she asked, refusing to turn to face him. It was even hard to tell the tone of her voice. It sounded a bit shaky, or like it was forced out, but loud enough to hear.

"What if something happened to you while you were in labor?" Chad replied. "Then the last time I saw you or talked to you would have been when I found out and when I walked out. And I would never be able to forgive myself for that because my last words would have been something stupid like 'shut up' or 'leave me alone' or even an overused 'I'm sorry'. I didn't just want to be there for you Taylor, I _had_ to be. I wasn't gonna let a stupid argument come in the way of seeing you again or talking to you one more time or seeing the birth of our child. That was probably the most important day of my life, even if it didn't end the way either of us wanted to. I got to be there for you and hold our daughter. And that's all that mattered."

Right now all Chad wanted to do was just beg her to stay, make her promise to never leave him. He didn't let go of her hand and his grip refused to budge. He didn't want this to be the last time he saw Taylor and he didn't want it to end with their family being broken forever. But he took notice of the ring on her finger.

"But I guess none of that matters anymore." He finished. "You found someone else."

Taylor rolled her eyes and slowly turned to Chad. Oddly enough she wasn't crying and she didn't look like she was about to, though it did look like she was holding something back. "What are you talking about?"

Chad held up her hand so she could see. The hand he was holding was the one Taylor had put the ring on. "This." He answered simply. "Who's the lucky guy?"

Taylor wanted to let out even more anger on him just then. That stupid, idiotic, son of a…was it bad to use that kind of language in a hospital? Quick, think of another word to use…witch? Nah, Chad was a warlock not a witch. It didn't sound right. Don of a donkey? Yeah, maybe that would work. Not a curse but it could be implied. Where was she now? Oh yeah. That stupid, idiotic, son of a donkey lunkhead basketball man! He couldn't even recognize his own ring! But then how could she tell him that she went into his house and went through his closet? That had her stuff in it? And how could she yell at him when he nearly poured his heart out to her? She nearly poured her own heart to him yesterday and he didn't yell at her. So shy should she react any differently to him?

Finally sighing, Taylor gave her answer. She had to be honest. "It's not really for an engagement. It doesn't even really mean anything." Chad looked at her and she slowly sat back down, letting him hold onto her hand. "I got this ring a long time ago. But I left it behind for someone. So when I found it again, I just put it back on. So if a guy tries to hit on me then I can just tell him that I'm spoken for."

_Guess I can't hold my breath anymore,_ Chad thought, _her heart belongs to someone else. That means I can't hit on her anymore or have anything to do with her. Guess as soon as this whole arm thing's said and done with I'm out for good._ "Well, I guess whatever makes you happy then." he finally said.

Taylor merely nodded. She couldn't tell Chad the ring was his. She didn't want to see his reaction. It wasn't hers anymore and Chad should be able to give it to who he wants to when he finds her. "I should probably let you get some rest now." She slowly pulled her hand out of his and Chad nodded.

"Any chance I'll be lucky enough to count on seeing you again?" Chad wondered.

"Maybe." Taylor nodded. "Just maybe." She turned around and walked out of his room. She held the hand with he ring on it close to her chest, and gripped that hand tight with her other one. _I'll give this back to Chad as soon as he's better._ she thought. _Because there's no way he's going to let me keep it this time.

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_Ok, are these two really that oblivious every time we read about them? They don't even realize they feel the exact same was as the other! Hey, I'm just fooling around here. We all know that's what would have happened on screen anyway. So how long is it gonna take a brainiac and a lunkhead to find out this time. Only one way to find out!


	14. Custody

Ok so I got this chapter up as quickly as i could. This one's a little different. I said there might be some T&G in the story, so i decided to add a special T&G scene. I quickish one, but still a scene. Hey, C&T may be my favorite couple and there may need to be more of them sometimes, but there has to be one of those moments in a story where there's not everything about the main characters right? And trust me, that's not all that's in this chapter!

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"I can't believe I just missed out on my only chance to see Chad before he left." Troy said to himself. He was sitting in his and Gabriella's bedroom on a chair, rubbing his hand on his head in disbelief.

"You know he'll be back once his operation is done." Gabriella replied loyally as she put a few clothes away. "How could you have known? You were busy with work so you didn't get a chance to visit him when you found out, and the day you're finally available you find out he's out of town to have the procedure done. You can't blame yourself for that."

"I haven't seen my best friend in three years. He left without even telling me." Troy replied, nearly jumping out of the chair. "I think I have a right to find out what was going on in his mind."

"Chad's going through a lot. He has been this whole time." Gabriella said as she folded a few shirts. "And especially now you should give him a chance to cool down before you jump on him. Let him get the operation done, give him a couple of days, and then you can talk to him and catch up."

"So what happens then?" Troy asked.

"What are you talking about?" she wondered.

"What about our families?" Troy continued. "We would joke with Chad and Taylor before we got married about raising our kids together. That they'd grow up to be best friends and everything. And even when Chad and I were rushing to the hospital both times it still seemed like that was gonna happen. But it's not now, because they're losing their only child. And it's Taylor's fault."

Gabriella had no reason to defend her friend on this one. She knew it was the truth. But she also knew that yelling or arguing about it wasn't going to do any good. Taylor already felt bad enough about it as it was, and she couldn't have anyone else breathing down her back about this. Even now Gabriella knew that Taylor was starting to sell nearly half the stuff she owned. To Gabriella, that was really saying something.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Troy." She finally said. "And I think this is a sign that Taylor is learning from hers and willing to fix it. Just last week I was asking her if she had any regrets. And she compared them to mistakes. I still don't know for sure if she has any. But if I know her as well as I think I do, then this has to be a regret to her."

"So what happened if it was the other way around?" Troy asked. "What if that was us instead of them?"

"If it were us instead I would be working my butt off this very second trying to make sure there was enough money for your surgery and figuring out a way to get Jamie back." Gabriella answered easily. "And I would put everything else aside to get that done, including my job or campaign if I had to."

"So what's Taylor doing now? Is she giving up on her campaign?" Troy asked.

"She has to hold onto one thing that she believes is hers no matter what. And for some reason Taylor thinks that thing is her governor race and not her daughter." Gabriella said. "But she has to realize that it's wrong before it's too late."

"So after all this time can she really do it?" Troy questioned.

"I don't know, ok?" Gabriella nearly screamed.

Troy paused. He didn't mean to upset Gabriella. He didn't even know why he was so angry. But he certainly didn't want to make her feel worse. Troy got up out of his chair and walked over to Gabriella, gently massaging her shoulders.

"I'm sorry for snapping." She apologized.

"Nah, I'm sorry for making a big production out of this. I'm a sports anchor man, not a drama king." Troy replied. "I guess I keep thinking about when it was the four of us and we used to be so close. Now it seems so distant. And I'm wondering if I can ever hang with the guy who's like my brother again or if we can really raise our kids together at all."

"You just have to give it time Troy." Gabriella told him softly. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but we can't get all worked up over it. All we can do is show our support and try to help them if they need it. So I'm going to be here always waiting for a call if Taylor needs help. And you should be here pulling for Chad, because somewhere in the back of his mind he knows that you're right there with him. What else are brothers for?"

Troy nodded and managed to smile. "You know, you're absolutely right." He agreed. "I really needed that. Thanks Gabriella." He gave her a peck on the cheek.

Gabriella giggled. "Any time." She smiled. She playfully pulled away from him. "But next time I give you advice like that, my pay really should be more than what I just got."

Troy smiled seductively. "Consider it done."

Ryan was in his office looking over some papers, as he was on the phone with his sister at the same time. Twin sister, actually. They were fraternal and she was six minutes older than him. One of the main reasons he had always been the follower, but now their careers had them each nearly on opposite sides of the country. And Ryan didn't mind, so long as they remained in contact. Which explained why now they were on the phone talking – and sort of working at the same time.

"Believe me Shar, the drama you're going through in New York can't compare to anything I've seen here." Ryan stated as he signed one of the forms.

"Ryan have you ever doubted that there'd be drama wherever either of us went?" Sharpay replied from the other end.

Ryan opened his mouth and held up a finger to speak. But no counter came from his mouth. "You know what, never mind. Forget I said anything." He shook his head.

Sharpay laughed. Even if they were five hundred miles or so away, she somehow still knew exactly what Ryan was doing. "So you're still coming up for my performance, right?"

"Yeah, like I'd really miss seeing my only sister perform a song from the soundtrack of that new movie." Ryan said sarcastically. He looked up when he heard a knock on his door. "Hey Shar, can I call you back later?" he asked. "I think I have a meeting or something."

"Alright Ryan, let your only sister down all the way in the Big Apple while you're talking about who knows what for some kids." She sighed.

Ryan chuckled. "Love you too, sis." He said, and then hung up. He put his signature on one last sheet of paper before looking up. "Come in." he called.

His office door opened and Taylor cautiously stepped in. "Ryan, can I please talk to you for a minute?"

"By 'minute' do you mean just one minute or longer than a minute like the figure of speech?" he asked.

"Figure of speech." She answered as-a-matter-of-factly.

Ryan decided to hear her out. He gave Taylor a nod and signaled for her to start. "Proceed."

"It's about Jasmine." Taylor just came right out with the point – or at least the topic of her point. "Please tell me you didn't assign her to a foster home yet."

"You know I really can't reveal something like that." Ryan said.

"I understand that it's company policy or whatever you call it," Taylor understood, "but this is important. I need to know if she's still here or if you already gave her to a new family." And she was hoping and praying that Jasmine was still here, that she wasn't already sent away to someone who could never be her real father…or mother. But most likely a better mother than Taylor had ever been.

Ryan paused for a minute, unsure of what to tell her. "Well…I know this really must mean a lot to you somehow," he said, "but unless there's a really good reason somehow, I'm not allowed to share that kind of information. It's classified."

"There is a good reason." She assured him. "You know that Chad is her father, right? See, he was involved in a car accident. He got hit trying to come after you so he could get Jasmine back. And he's been in the hospital for the past couple of days and he just left early this morning to get an operation done."

"So is this about him seeing her one more time after all is said and done?" Ryan assumed. "Like, he doesn't want to see her go to another family without him being there?"

"Kind of…" Taylor admitted.

"It's not in Chad's hands what kind of family his child get puts in." Ryan explained. "None of the kids ever get put in a bad home. Chad doesn't make the decision on whether or not the family will be capable of raising her. We do. Any of us that work in the building."

Taylor crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow.

"Ok, maybe not me specifically." Ryan admitted. "But they do let me come along to take notes and whatnot."

Taylor couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Ryan, just please tells me if she's still here or not."

"Actually, I was going to get to a file about her soon." Ryan said. "I only skimmed it earlier today, but it looked like a form for some foster parents. So if I look it over and give it my signature, then after a few more signatures she'll officially be theirs."

Taylor couldn't hear this anymore. "You can't sign that form Ryan."

Ryan raised an eyebrow from confusion. "Wait, I thought I was the one sitting at the desk, not arguing with it."

Taylor let her impatience take over. "You can't let Jasmine go to another family until Chad gets out of the hospital or anything." She insisted. "And he knows whose hands he wants her in."

"Taylor I'm sorry. Like I said, this is one of the things I hate doing the most. But I can entertain kids, I get a good pay, and I'm not just sitting in a stuffy office most of the day." Ryan replied. "Chad was incapable of raising his daughter. He was doing it by himself. And since we don't know who the mother is, all we can assume is that she's clearly out of their lives and doesn't want anything to do with them. If there was a mother in the picture, we would bring the situation to her and see if she'd be responsible enough to raise a child, or if she even wants one."

"There is a mother in the picture!" Taylor gasped. "It's me."

Ryan blinked, completely frozen. That was an unexpected twist on his part. At first he just stared at Taylor in shock. He started pointing at her, then slowly put his hand down. Then his eyes landed on his desk before slowly looking up again. After five minutes or so, he finally came back to reality. "Ok, you lost me."

Taylor sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She paused for a minute, realizing she now had to spill the whole story to Ryan. Taylor sat down at a chair in front of his desk and faced him, trying to remain as calm as possible. "Three years ago Chad and I were engaged. And about a half or year or so before that day, I found out I was pregnant. And I didn't tell Chad until I was half way through the whole thing." She explained. "There was a misunderstanding between us and I thought he was leaving but it turned out that I was the one who left. And I left him my engagement ring. So when the day came for the delivery I was surprised to see Chad there actually standing by my side and helping me. But when it was all over I didn't want anything to do with either of them. In my mind I was thinking that every time I look at the baby I would think of Chad and how he hurt me. That's why I forced Chad to take the baby. I told him to do whatever he wanted with it. And he ended up keeping it. And I found both of them almost a week ago and I guess I haven't stayed away since."

Ryan rubbed his chin as he listened to the whole thing. "You do realize now I have to ask you some serious questions." He stated. "Because from the way all of this is sounding…" he paused to try and sound as soft as possible, "…you just don't seem like a suitable parent."

"I understand." Taylor nodded. She looked down at the ground and twiddled her thumbs in her seat, luckily where Ryan couldn't see them. "But when I took Jasmine to the hospital to see Chad, something happened that we never expected. I was about to leave with her and Chad thought something was wrong. So he asked me and I didn't say anything. And Jas looked at me and actually called me her mother. So I just ran." She replayed the scene in her head and could already feel the emotions rising again. Taylor took a pause to hold them back before she continued. "When Chad caught up with us, he made me promise him something. And that promise was to make sure that Jasmine doesn't go to a foster home and that I raise her, no matter what. And I told him I'd do whatever I could."

"I can't give you Jasmine just because you feel guilty." Ryan stated.

"I know. But this isn't just about guilt, Ryan." Taylor replied. "I messed up. I want to make things right. I don't want my daughter living with another family when she never got a chance to know her real mother. She knows her real father, but she doesn't know me. And I need to make up for missing all these years. And I made a promise to Chad. I have to keep it."

Ryan just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you, Tay." He said. "But I'm just saying, it's suspicious that you're the one who waned to put her in foster care when she was your own child."

"It was a mistake. And for the past few days I wish I never did that. I've been wishing that I didn't do a lot of the things I did lately." Taylor replied. "But that was after the first day I saw Chad again. I couldn't believe he was hiding out from everyone in the slums raising our daughter. And I was so angry with him that I didn't take long enough to see that she was in the right hands all along."

She stood up and started walking around the room. "You should have just seen them, Ryan. We went to the mall the day after I made the call. At first I just thought it would be a way to make Chad feel a little better and forget that I ever did make that call. But it turned out to be almost like a family outing. Every other sentence that came out of Chad's mouth was about Jasmine. 'Hey maybe we should get Jas something while we're here.' 'Hey can we stop for some food? I think she's getting hungry.' 'Oh we need to stop for a minute. Jas has to use the restroom.' 'The next time we do this can we only go shopping for Jasmine?'" Taylor paused again and just tried to remember the feeling she had that day. "I picked her up for the first time in my life that day Ryan. I held my daughter for the first time in three years. I didn't even hold her the day she was born, let alone look at her. And as soon as I held her she refused to let go. And I didn't want to let her go. When Chad and I went to the cashier, I tried to pull out my wallet and give Jasmine to Chad to hold, but she wouldn't let me. And the cashier made a comment about somebody not wanting to let go of their mama. And the last time I want to the hospital to see Chad he acted like Jasmine knew I was her mother all along. That's why he wants me to raise her if he can't."

"He wouldn't be allowed to raise her with you." Ryan stated.

"He said that if the worst ever happened to him, he made me swear to be the one to raise Jasmine, not some foster family." Taylor insisted. "I don't care if I'm allowed to raise her with Chad or not. Jasmine is my daughter, and I need to prove to her that I'm not going to push her away anymore, that when I actually hold her I'm not going to let her go. And for all I know Chad is interested in another woman. So if he is and I'm raising Jasmine by myself, then all I can say is that I get what I deserve. And I know I must have a million reasons against me not to raise her, but I'm not letting that stop me. So I'm not asking you as some kind of client Ryan, but as a friend…" Taylor turned to face him, really having a pleading look in her eyes. "…please don't give Jasmine to a foster family. At least let me prove myself that I can handle her."

Ryan leaned forward on his desk, his hands under his chin. He appeared deep in thought, much more than the clueless Ryan from high school would have been. And if he ever were that deep in thought it'd be about hats, music, or food. Oooh, food sounded good right now actually. Maybe a chocolate doughnut or a vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and rainbow sprinkles….

Taylor raised an eyebrow. Ryan was silent for a while not. "Ryan?"

Ryan snapped out of his daydream about food and shook his head. "Sorry about that." He apologized. He finally stood up out of his seat. "I'm not holding anything against you Taylor. All I'm going to say is that the facts are there. And most of them are against you. But there's another thing I can say. And that's about giving someone their word. That's all anyone can ever ask for. And all anyone ever tries to do is keep their word. And I've heard all the words you have to say. So that's why I'm going to write up a proposal for you. I'll present it for some of the guy as soon as I can, and you'll get a call. But we also have to know if you're planning to move or not before we even start."

"Any chance I could ask why?" Taylor inquired.

"It's like taking a new puppy home. It takes them a while to get used to a new environment. And trust me, when Sharpay and I first got our dog Boi, he went crazy around the house. And since he was such a small dog, man did he go running until we calmed him down!" Ryan said. He cleared his throat, "But still, in some ways children are like dogs. When a little kid is brought home…to a permanent home that wasn't the one they grew up in, and with a completely different family, it takes them a while to get used to their new surroundings. So if you're planning on moving then you have to let us know before we get started on anything and actually have a new house before we can get in knee deep about this. Because then that way if you're in a new house it would give Jasmine a chance to get used to you and a new environment for her. Without Chad."

Taylor took all this in. It wasn't that she didn't understand, but there was still one thing that bothered her. "So if by some odd twist of fate that Chad and I get back together, we couldn't raise Jasmine together?"

"Not unless he proves himself worthy of doing so." Ryan shook his head. "I'm talking parenting class, observing him with other kids, how he acts around them…pretty much the works. That's the only way he'd be able to go back to being a parent with her."

Taylor nodded. She would have to let Chad know about that when he got back. "I am planning on selling my condo as soon as possible." She told Ryan. "I've already sold a few things of mine today so I could put in some money for Chad's operation. And I'm hoping to be out of my condo and in a new home…any suitable home…by the end of this week."

"Then I'll let you get to it then." Ryan agreed. "Providing that every day you stop by here and let us watch you around Jasmine. And trust me, the guys around here will watch you. Even if they're not behind you they'll watch you."

"Understood." Taylor nodded. "I'll do it." She didn't even have to think twice about it.

"Then you've got a deal. All you have to do is let me know when you officially move into a new house, and then we can really get started." Ryan approved. He rubbed his chin and quirked an eyebrow. "So, you said you were selling stuff right?"

Taylor nodded.

"Got any CD's, movies, or antiques I could get for a good deal?" Ryan asked hopefully. "Or maybe some coupons to get some food?"

* * *

Yeah, a little randomness here and there. So how's the story looking? This is one of the parts in it where there's a change in one of the characters. Now if only I could remember what that was called from that writing class last year...um.... Give me until the next chapter. I'll figure out what it is!


	15. The Return

Aha! That's what it is. Transformation! Checked my notes from my writing class last year. It's one of the stages of a quest story. Like how the story's about a mission and there's different categories the story can fall under. Like the journey, which is when the main character is followed on their journey from start to finish, or a femmefetale (or whatever right way it's spelled) which is when a woman goes on a journey that's more expected of a man to do. But the transformation is when the main character transforms a part of him/her. Yeah, just a really long boring author's note. The point is, the last few chapters have been about a transformation that I probably just gave away and ruined all your fun for it! ….. Ok, continue with the reading then.

* * *

Taylor looked around her condo as she finished packing her last few items. The somewhat large housing area she'd been living in for the past three years was no completely empty and she had successfully sold it. She didn't want to charge so much for it because she was a candidate for a race or anything, but she managed to make about enough to pay for half of Chad's operation. That was good enough for her. So now there was the matter of her new home. It wasn't going to be anywhere near as glamorous as the condo, but it was better than nothing. And thanks to her last paycheck from work, she had just enough to buy it.

Yup, Taylor was moving down the social ladder. From a condo to an apartment. Not even a big one, mainly a one bedroom apartment. But there would be just enough room for her and Jasmine in there. Jasmine could take the room, and Taylor could use her couch to sleep on, which luckily pulled out to a bed.

So now, almost a week later, that is what she was moving into. And clearly the public had heard about it. As far as the campaign went, her opponent was saying that it was a sign that Taylor was nowhere near ready to run a state when there she was moving from a perfect condo to a small apartment building. And as much as Taylor wanted to fight back, she had to refrain herself from doing so. There could only be one thing on her mind right now. And she kept telling herself that even as she started unpacking in the apartment and settling down. But at the rate all of this was going, Taylor would never be able to get back on her feet for the race. She could even remember that from when she went to visit Jasmine the other day. She was true to her word on that one, and she was ready to prove that she could keep it. But that day it didn't exactly go the way she had hoped.

_Jasmine was tugging Taylor's sleeve as she sat on her lap, urging her to continue on with the story she was reading to her. It was a little too complicated for a three year old, but somehow Jasmine still seemed to be into it. And Taylor was more than happy to continue. It was hard for her to believe that this was her child she was doing this with. She wasn't sitting alone in her room reading huge books anymore. So if she could get custody of Jasmine this is how life would be from now on. And as unglamorous as it sounded, Taylor was content about it. But her thoughts were interrupted as she overheard two of the men in suits watching them. She had paused with the reading and secretly listened in, even if they were by the doorway and she in the middle of the room._

"_Who is this girl kidding?" the first one asked. "Hasn't she had enough problems in her life? Why torture her little girl through it that she barely even knew existed?"_

"_Heck if I know." The second replied. "Maybe it had something to do with the way her parents raised her. "You know how much of a trouble maker some of her kind can be."_

"_Yeah but as trouble making as they are, this one is stubborn." The first said. "She's still trying to go for this governor thing even though her time seems more occupied with this kid. I mean at first she really seemed to be putting up a fight, but she's really letting it go now."_

"_Yeah, what makes her think she'll be able to run New Mexico?" the second agreed._

"_New Mexico?" the first one laughed. "What makes her think she could get away with being governor and raising a child? She'll never stand a chance."_

"_Yeah. The kid'll be back here in no time. Heck, I'm betting by the end of the month she'll be back here."_

"_Yeah, there's no way a single parent could run a state and raise a child. It just can't be done. The neglected kid's gonna come cryin back to us for a new home. They seem happy now but trust me, it'll never last."_

_Taylor nearly froze as she overheard them. Those two really didn't think she had it in her to be a parent, especially after all this time. And were those comments what she thought they were? That couldn't be right around here. And questioning her upbringing? Taylor knew her parents raised her right. Which also meant that they raised her better than this. Better than to actually neglect her own family._

_But there was another problem in the mix now. Not being able to run for governor and raise a child? Taylor hated to admit it, but there was no way that could be done. One would get more attention than the other and problem after problem would follow. So then why was she so hesitant on doing this? Why else, because it's been her dream since she was a kid to run for president! This was the first step to making that dream a reality. Taylor had carefully planned it since she was in high school. Pay attention to the elections, study on political science in college, research all things political once she was out of college, prepare to run for an office, become governor of New Mexico, and eventually president. The whole plan was right there. And she had to turn her back on it now of all times, right when she was so close._

_Jasmine tucked on Taylor's sleeve again. "Mommy, story time."_

_Taylor snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Jasmine. Man she wished she would stop calling her that. It made Taylor feel so guilty. Maybe she really did know all along.... "Yeah. Of course, Jas."_

Taylor sighed as she snapped out of her flashback. There was a choice that had to be made. But she couldn't make it. Not just yet. The one thing she knew she needed to do first was to talk to Chad as soon as he got back. He's been gone for almost a week now and Taylor felt so tense about it. She had to talk to him about this parenting thing, she had to tell him what Ryan said, and she had to give him his ring back. All those years back that Taylor's mother had disapproved of Chad and Chad's father had a random bad vibe about Taylor, it seemed as though Chad was the one who didn't deserve Taylor. But now Taylor knew it had been backwards all along.

She shook her head rapidly. "Snap out of it, Taylor. Make up your mind." She insisted to herself. There had to be a logical answer to all of this. Right now it was parenting or governor…ing. Something like that. Man, she really must have been out of it to jumble her words like that.

Taylor nearly jumped when her phone rang. Luckily it was her cell phone, as her home phone wasn't plugged in yet. Heck, only a forth of the apartment had furniture set up just right in it. "McKessie." She answered as professionally as she could, no matter who was on the other line.

"And it's Ryan." The voice said from the other line. "Just called for an update on the whole situation here. But first, any word from Chad yet?"

"No, he hasn't come home yet." Taylor shook her head. She tried hiding the disappointment in her voice. She needed him back. And it wasn't just about this whole family thing either. Part of her really wanted him back. Emphasis on really. Yup, the girl was completely out of it now.

"Well, just thought I'd give you an update." Ryan replied. "Some of the guys in the office are having doubts about you, but we're going to have our first official meeting on it later tonight. We just have another case to clear up first."

"Oh, alright. I appreciate that Ryan." She nodded.

"But there's another reason why I'm calling." Ryan added. "The security cameras picked up something…."

Aha! So there were security cameras in that room. Just a hunch Taylor had. But it wasn't like she was acting overly nice for them. She was just being herself…she thought. "Which was?" she asked.

"There was a certain time the other day when you were reading a book with Jasmine. There was some mumbling in the background and it turned out that after we enhanced the voice or whatever big technological words were used, one of the guys made a comment about you. And you seemed distracted after it for the rest of the day. Did you by any chance hear it?"

Taylor sighed. She didn't want to be a tattletale but…who are we kidding? She would tattle on her older sister when she was seven when she knew who stole the last few cookies from the cookie jar. But it's not like she did it on purpose. It just happened to be a bad habit to her. "Yeah, I heard it. And it wasn't just about the whole balancing being a governor and raising a child one. I think he made a certain comment about my heritage."

"That's what I thought." Ryan replied. "That's why he's being fired. Even if he has something against someone as being a possible parent, there's no reason to bring anything else onto them. We made sure he was out of there as soon as possible. And he tried using the excuse, 'I'm prejudiced against all races'."

"Wasn't that what it said on your Homer Simpson cup?" Taylor inquired.

And, as Ryan was at his desk on the other line, there was indeed a Homer Simpson cup facing him. The entire cup had sayings from the cartoon character. "Maybe…" Ryan admitted. "It would also explain why I didn't get out of jury duty last year. I said I was prejudiced against aliens."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "For the last time Ryan, aliens have not landed from Mars and are disguising themselves as humans when it comes to the court of law. And even if there were aliens, they must be on the other side of the galaxy or else we would have found them in the solar system by now."

Ryan sighed. "Ok but don't blame me. My sister told me otherwise when we were five."

Taylor giggled and shook her head. As bad as the news almost sounded, there was actually some relief in it. A little humor about alien life forms never hurt anyone. "Bye Ryan." She said before hanging up.

Taylor moved some hair out of her face. She really needed to clear her head now. She could always finish setting up another day, after all. Taylor picked up her purse and walked out of the apartment. She got into her car, which she was able to trade in for a cheaper one and strike a deal to get some extra money back, and started driving. Actually, the station wagon felt a lot more comfortable to drive than her previous Saturn. Plus, it would be a lot safer for a child in the back seat.

Before Taylor knew it, she ended up in the slums. She didn't even know what brought her there, but she was there. Now she was parked in front of where Chad had lived and she found herself just sitting in the car with the engine off and gazing at it. Taylor then looked down at her finger and saw the ring still on it. Maybe she should put it back before Chad could find out. Besides, she knew he was going to pull through, so what was the point in keeping it? Well, other than the fact that she didn't want to take it off. For a few more minutes she just sat there staring at the run-down building. Taylor began playing with her hair, pushing it to the side and running her fingers endlessly through it. Finally, she pulled her hair to that side in a low side ponytail and let herself exit the car. She slowly stepped into the slight darkness of the home and looked around. But not too long when she was just past the doorway did she stop dead in her tracks. Right there on the couch was someone she didn't expect to see yet.

Taylor blinked as she slowly and cautiously stepped forward to get a better look. Maybe she was dreaming? Was he really there? Taylor finally broke the silence in the room and opened her mouth to speak. "Chad?"

That's when the figure on the couch picked his head up. He looked directly at Taylor in awe. He slowly stepped out of what looked like the shadows and moved some hair out of his face. And right there in the flesh, there he was. "Tay?"

The two just stared at each other for a minute. Their jaws were both dropped and their eyes wide witch shock. Not even waiting another minute, Chad ran right over to Taylor and engulfed her in a big hug, which she returned. His arms went around her shoulder and waist as hers became tightened around his neck. He practically lifted her off her feet and she was almost up to his height.

"I didn't know you were coming back so soon." She said softly in his ear.

"Everything's all said and done with." Chad replied. "They said everything was half paid for already. How did you…?"

"I have my ways." Taylor shrugged. "I sold a few things and traded in my car, including my condo."

Chad blinked and pulled away slightly, but kept Taylor in his arms. "You don't have to give everything up for me."

"Yes I do. You don't understand. It had to be done. And I'm going to keep paying it back. I'll make it work." Taylor replied. Her eyes moved down to Chad's right arm. She gently felt it under his shirt. It felt a bit flat and hard. "So about the amputation…"

"It went well." Chad answered. He looked down at his arm and pulled up his sleeve to show Taylor his arm. It appeared mechanical, but it was really just a hard, skinny arm. Or, at least in the shape of one where the elbow would be and everything. The hand was what looked more mechanical, with the way his fingers moved. "Meet my new arm." Chad said.

Taylor took a long look at it. She gently ran her finger down it. It felt nothing like Chad's arm. But it was better than the lifeless arm the last time she saw him. "I think you'll live with this." She told him with a small yet warm smile. "You can play basketball with it, and use it to write with…a new arm doesn't make you a new Chad. It just gives you something new to get used to."

Chad smiled. He wanted to kiss Taylor now so badly, even after all they've been through. But he knew he couldn't. Someone else had caught her interest, so her heart wasn't in Chad's hands anymore. But it still felt so good to have that kind of encouragement from her. It just made him feel better.

"Don't you have something new to get used to, too?" he wondered.

Taylor looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You mean you're not taking care of Jas?" Chad asked, a bit shocked.

Taylor paused for a moment. She had to figure out how to explain this to him. "Maybe you should sit down for this." She told him. The two of them walked back over to the couch and she told him the whole story.

"So if this falls through then you'll be living with Jas in your new apartment?" Chad asked once she was done explaining.

"Yeah." Taylor nodded. "And for you to even have a chance of helping to raise her, you need to take parenting classes. It's supposed to prove that you know what you're doing when it comes to kids."

"It doesn't cost anything does it?" Chad wondered. "I mean, I could get the money…"

"No, Chad. It's fine." She cut him off. "But you do know you're going to need to get a new job now."

"Tell me about it." Chad sighed. "I don't even know if I can go back to working for some fast food place with my arm like this, y'know? And I need a better paying job. Problem is, ever since I got out with this new arm I've been mobbed. People are asking me where I've been for the last three years and what I've been doing. And they wanna know if I'm goin back to sports or not. They keep rubbing it in my face what a 'promising future' I had and whatnot."

"So what are you going to do?" Taylor wondered.

"I don't know yet." Chad shook his head. "Just…anything that'll get me back with Jas. She needs me."

"More than anything." Taylor agreed quietly. Chad looked at her with a confused look at Taylor shook her head. "Anyway, I should head back now. I've still got some unpacking to do." She got up and headed towards the door.

But Chad wasn't ready to let her go yet. "Taylor wait!" That got her attention, as she turned back to him. Chad walked over to her and pulled out the necklace from his left pants pocket. "You left this at the hospital. You never took it home." He told her.

Taylor blinked and stared at it. She shook her head, pretending she forgot it. "Right. Right, sorry."

Chad shook his head. "Don't be." He stepped behind her and slipped the necklace on. _Even if we're not together, she'll still have something of me with her._ He thought as it clipped on. _And at least I've still got everything else in that closet._

Taylor smiled and turned back around to Chad. "By any chance, do you want to spend the night at my apartment? You just seem really lonely here." Maybe Chad did seem that way, but to Taylor it was just an excuse to spend more time with him.

"Yeah." Chad nodded almost immediately. "Yeah, sounds great." He agreed. "I'll meet you in the car."

"Great." Taylor replied. She walked back outside, silently fiddling with the necklace that hung around her neck.

Chad walked over to his clothes to get some together for the night. He was about to go out to Taylor's car, but not before he went over to the closet. Chad looked through it to see if everything was there. He saw the scarf, the pictures, the bracelet…. Wait a minute, where was the ring?

His eyes opened wide with fear. "No…" Chad gasped. "Crap!" He hit his fist against the wall. Even after looking on every shelf the ring was nowhere to be found. The one thing in that closet he cherished more than anything else, and it was gone.

* * *

This wasn't a very exciting chapter was it? Yeah, i figured as much. But there's more to come. And you probably know what I'm gonna say. That I'll put the next one up ASAP, and that it'll be better and the story'll get better and I don't own anything mentioned in the story. Why do I keep talking? you all know I'll repeat everything over and over again! So tell you what, I'll mix it up with the next author's note. It'll be so random you wouldn't even expect it. And it'll be so short you can get to the story before saying "I don't dance". xD


	16. Together Again?

Monkey feet! There, there was that random really short author's note. I really hope this chapter goes better than the last one, I thought it didn't turn out the greatest. But this should be one of the last chapters in the story. So now as I type this story up, I'm going to try and get all the songs stuck in my head out of it.

* * *

By now it had already been a few weeks. Chad was attending the parenting classes and Taylor was still preparing for the election. It was only a few months away now, and she didn't remember a time when she felt more nervous. But even as she tried to get back in the race and push the polls up more towards her, there was still the issue of Jasmine. There was still no word from Ryan if she could keep her or not. But Taylor already had plans. She was hoping not to hear anything yet, at least not until Chad finished the classes. She knew he was a good parent, so it'd be the one class he could pass with ease. And the longer the class lasted and the longer it took to decide whether or not Taylor should keep Jasmine, the longer Taylor could keep the ring.

She couldn't stop fiddling with the necklace around her neck. She hadn't taken it off since Chad put it on her. And now Chad was coming and going out of her apartment. She hated seeing him go back to such a dump of a home. And Chad still hadn't found a better job yet. Taylor wasn't sure if he was just having problems with it, or if it was the attacking of reporters and such asking about his career. Chad needed his space and Taylor could see that. But she wished that all of that space he needed, he could just spend in her apartment. It felt nowhere near as homey as he condo, but with Chad there it felt more complete.

Taylor let out a sigh as she slowly let go of the necklace. Who was she kidding? She didn't deserve any of this. Even this apartment was too good for her. How could she hope to use it as a home for her family when she felt like she didn't even belong in it?

In the meantime Chad was stuck in some stupid conference. He didn't even know how he ended up in there. Forced against his will or something. But he didn't want this, any of this. He wanted to finish his classes, get his daughter back, and start a new life. He wanted his family to be together again. But every time he thought about the three of them being together, it felt so incomplete. Just like something wasn't fitting.

Chad was snapped out of his daydreams as reporters kept throwing questions at him and flashes from the cameras kept clicking.

"Mr. Danforth can you clarify where you've been all these years?"

"Mr. Danforth, what happened to your fiancé? Does she know that you're back?"

"I heard you've been attending parenting classes. Is there a sex scandal we should know about?"

"Do you plan on having a life back in any sporting arena now that you're back?"

"Stop!" Chad yelled. He couldn't take this anymore. "Look I don't want to blab about my private life. Yeah, I disappeared for a few years. Yeah, I'm back now. Yeah, I don't have my real arm anymore. No, I have no idea what I'm doing with my life yet. I'm just trying to get back with my family!"

The paparazzi exploded into gasps. "Wait, so you do have a child?"

"Who was it with?"

"Are you involved in affair?"

"Are you married to someone? Or more than one woman?"

Chad covered his ears. What was wrong with these people? Couldn't they take a hint?

"I think that's enough." A voice called from the middle of the crowd. Troy stepped forward, revealing himself in what looked like a reporter's outfit, but his hat and microphone symbolized his sports anchor career. "I think Mr. Danforth has had enough now. I have a private interview scheduled with him soon. Now if you could all leave him alone, he's a very busy man and I have a story for ESPN that has to get out."

The reporters seemed to obey Troy as they slowly departed. Chad sighed with relief as he ran over to Troy. "Dude! You're a butt saver!"

Troy smirked. "You should be glad I'm an anchorman, Chad. C'mon, let's get you to a safe place." He pat his friend on the back and they headed to Troy's place.

"We're not really doing an interview are we?" Chad assumed over cups of coffee.

"Nah." Troy shook his head. "Trust me, I can always e-mail you some questions and you can answer them."

"How do I do that without a computer?" Chad asked.

"You wanna just write down random questions and answers and send them to me then?" Troy joked.

Chad laughed. "I'll take that any day man." He toasted cups with Troy and they both took loud sips.

"It's great to have you back man, really." Troy said. "But why did you disappear? You couldn't even tell me where you went. Heck you didn't even tell Gabriella where you went so she could tell me."

"Sorry man." Chad apologized. "I guess I felt on my own that time, y'know? I didn't know where to go or what to do. It was just me and Jas."

"She's your little girl, huh?" Troy guessed.

"Same age as Jamie." Chad nodded. No way was he going to forget his best friend's son. "We used to say how they would grow up together and play all the time."

"So much for that huh?" Troy sighed. "And I can tell you've been through a lot."

"Yeah." Chad nodded quietly. "But I don't know what to do now."

"First tell me what's goin on." He offered.

Chad nodded. He filled Troy in on everything, from the time he saw Taylor again to the past couple of weeks. He even went in detail how he was raising his daughter for those three years alone, and where. "So now I actually have a chance to get Jas back." Chad was finishing. "But now something just doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Troy inquired.

"Just that every time I picture the three of us getting back together it doesn't seem to fit." Chad explained. "Me…Taylor…Jas…and I just don't know what's wrong."

Troy sighed. "Do you really want my opinion?"

"Not like it'll kill anyone." Chad shrugged.

"Dump her." He said simply.

Chad nearly spit out his coffee, but instead ended up choking on it. He held his throat and fanned it, giving it a minute to cool down before speaking again. "What?"

"Get Taylor out of your life man." Troy repeated. "I know she and I haven't been on good terms since you left or anything, but I don't get what you see in her anymore. Why does she even deserve to take care of Jas when you're doing all the work?"

"She's trying to have a part in her life. And she's trying to get Jas back." Chad replied. He just didn't know how to take this. Years ago Troy was thrilled for Chad, that he had found someone special and the girl he had loved for so many years was finally going to be his something more. But now it just seems as though all of it was a lie.

"It's just a way to clear her conscience, I bet." Troy said. "And what about her running for governor? She hasn't even dropped out of the race. Heck she's been picking up the pace and everything."

"It's part of her dream." Chad defended.

"And you gave up your dream to raise Jasmine." Troy retorted. "That's why you left with her, that's why you never went into sports. So if you can give up your dream for your daughter then why can't Taylor do the same?"

Chad just looked down at his coffee and shook his head. "I don't know man."

Troy sighed. He didn't mean to sound so harsh, he really didn't. But his brother figure just got back after all this time. The last thing he wanted was to see Chad get hurt again. And he knew how much Chad was hurting last time. He couldn't see that again. "I'm sorry man." He apologized. "I'm just trying to help."

"I appreciate that Troy. Really." Chad replied. "But I just can't let her go. I let her push me away before. I don't wanna see that happen again."

"Are you really serious?" Troy asked.

"I love her man. I know I do." Chad said. "And I know you can understand that more than anyone. When you and Gabriella first met, Tay and I did everything we could think of to break you up. And it worked. And then we saw how miserable you both were without each other. That's why we pushed you two back together. Don't make the same mistake we did Troy. You were able to handle yourself then and look where it got you. A great life, your dream girl, and a healthy growing boy. So if you were able to handle yourself in high school with no problems then I should be able to handle myself now, even with a million problems."

"And you're sure about this?" Troy checked. He had a serious look on his face.

"I'm sure." Chad nodded. "You've found your one and only. Now I need to win mine back. And do whatever it takes to get my family to be a real one."

"Then I'll back you up a hundred percent man." Troy agreed.

"Seriously?" Chad asked in disbelief.

"That's what brothers do." Troy grinned. "We fight, we hit each other, we yell, we pretend to beat each other up for no reason, we get in trouble, we hang together, we grow up together, and we're there for each other."

"Thanks bro." Chad nodded with a smile. He and Troy toasted cups once more. And it felt good to have his best friend back on his side.

Ryan raised an eyebrow as he looked over the papers. He slowly picked his eyes up at Chad and Taylor, both of who were sitting across from him at his desk. He could tell both of them were serious. Taylor was in her dark purple dress suit, her legs crossed like a "proper lady" as she would call it; her hair was tied back in a tiny bun and her hands sat in her lap. Chad was wearing the same outfit that he had modeled in front of Taylor and Jasmine at the mall. Jasmine sat in his lap, just watching curiously what was going on. She refused to get off of his lap and go anywhere else.

Ryan went back to reading the papers and Jasmine looked up at her father. "I wanna cookie." She said quietly.

"When we get out of here you can have all the cookies you want." Chad smiled, playfully tickling her belly.

"Really?" Jasmine asked hopefully.

"Well, maybe not _all_ the cookies." Chad admitted. "But how about we start off with some lunch. And then we'll get a really big cookie that we can share."

Jasmine giggled and grabbed his hand. Chad laughed and kissed the top of her head. Taylor looked over at the two and smiled, able to see how happy they were to be back together. It really was a picture perfect family with them. And Ryan actually took notice of it. Chad had finished his classes the other day, as it was now two and a half weeks later, and he passed with flying colors. It was easy to tell from the way he was handling Jasmine that he was better with kids than he was led on to believe. But still, this was an important matter and the head hancho of the agency was leaving Ryan to decide what to do with them once and for all. He cleared his throat slightly to get their attention and Chad quickly looked up, with Taylor turning her head. Ryan went back to reading and kept his eyes on the paper. He was looking over every last detail carefully, as though he were reading a script for the last time before giving a star dazzling performance.

Taylor bit her tongue as the length of the silence became longer. One leg started twitching a bit, kind of moving up and down, and she kept tapping her hand against her lap. It was her sign of nervousness, as opposed to the nail biting habit she had up until before she got braces in eighth grade. Chad took notice of Taylor's actions and gently put his hand over her hand and somehow she instantly felt calmer. She looked over at Chad who was giving her a warm encouraging smile, trying to tell her it was all going to work out. And Taylor only smiled back, wishing she could completely believe him.

And in the silence all they had was their thoughts to break it.

_I can't believe how nervous she looks,_ Chad thought, _I mean they spent this long looking everything over and watching us right? And the only reason they didn't give in sooner was because they knew I was going in and out of Tay's apartment. Guess they really didn't wanna take any chances._ He snapped out of his thoughts briefly and his brown eyes fell on the ring Taylor had on her finger. Chad held in a sigh as he stared at it, still too dazed to realize it was his. _God I can't believe I'm gonna lose her to another guy. Is this why I keep thinking the family picture won't fit? Because Taylor keeps wearing that ring? It has to be important to her if she won't let another guy take her, right? I mean she says no one plopped the question to her, but how do I know she doesn't want him to do it? I can't believe it. I'm freaking out about a relationship that doesn't exist now and I should be worried about getting Jasmine back._ _What the firetruck is wrong with me?_ Hey, firetruck would have been a different word but Chad swore that whether he was thinking or not, if there was a child in the room he wouldn't curse.

_What is taking so long? We waited all this time, must they make us wait even longer? _Taylor thought nervously. _I'm just glad Chad is done with his classes and actually here. He's just making m think somehow that this is going to fall through. But even if it does, where does that leave me? I mean I know what Chad said, but he's still here. So why should I be the one to keep Jasmine when I know I shouldn't be allowed to?_ She looked down at her hand and saw Chad's over it. It was his fake arm, but it still felt as comforting as if it were his real one. _I'm just glad Jas wasn't afraid of that hand. She thought it was so cool, like it made Chad part robot or something. Maybe in her dreams.... _Her face fell as she thought about it. _.... Which is the only place she'll see me._

"Everything here is really thorough." Ryan finally spoke up. "It's all in order and there's notes and everything. You two really put a lot of effort into this." He looked up at the two and they only sat there silently. There had to be more to it, they just knew it. "So with everything said and done, there's only one question left to answer."

Chad's grip tightened around Jasmine and on Taylor's hand. Taylor tried to not show any fear in her eyes, but it didn't stop her hand from threatening to tap her lap again which it would have done if Chad's hand weren't over it.

Ryan had a serious look on his face as he stared at them. His expression softened as he stood up out of his seat and a smile came across his face. "Whose last name does she get?"

Taylor blinked in surprise and Chad's jaw dropped. "Wait a minute…you mean…."

Ryan smiled and nodded. "Congrats, guys. Jasmine's all yours. She doesn't need a foster home."

"Oh snap!" Chad exclaimed with a huge grin as he jumped out of his seat.

Taylor couldn't help but let out a squeal. She stood from her seat and Chad pulled her into a hug with one hand, holding Jasmine in the other. Both of them never looked happier, and Jasmine just looked around the room wondering why everyone was so happy.

Ryan chuckled. "So whose last name is she getting?" he asked again.

Taylor looked at Chad after the broke out of the hug. "Her father's." she answered. "Just like it's always been."

Chad looked at Taylor but Ryan only nodded. "So then I just need both of your signatures on the form." He told them, pushing a sheet of paper towards them along with a pen. "And Chad, I'm gonna need you to sign her full name." he added.

"Of course." Chad nodded. He picked up the pen and handed it over to Taylor. "Lady's first."

Taylor nodded a thank you and signed her name in perfect penmanship, "Taylor Alexis McKessie." She stood up straight and handed the pen over to Chad. He nodded and signed his name, in barely legible script, "Chad Bartholomew Danforth." He then gently put Jasmine down so he could sign her name as well, "Jasmine Taylor Danforth."

Ryan smiled as he picked up the form. He stamped it with something and placed it in a folder. "She's all yours." He shook hands with the both of them and Chad picked Jasmine up again. Ryan casually put his hands in his pockets. "So…by any chance does she have an uncle?" he wondered. "Cause I'm great with kids. And I do great sock puppet impressions."

Taylor tried to hold in her giggling as Ryan moved his hands to make them look like he was using them as puppets. Chad laughed and shook his head.

"I'm just saying, kids here kinda grow on me." Ryan admitted sheepishly. "I can put on a great sock puppet show."

"See ya man." Chad told Ryan as he walked out with a smile. Taylor gave Ryan a friendly smile as well and followed Chad out.

"Well at least say hi to Troy and Gabriella for me when you see them!" Ryan called after them. He folded his arms and sighed. "They should never put me in charge with this stuff. I'm too big a softie."

Chad walked into Taylor's apartment, still holding Jasmine in his arms. "Alright, now let's get celebrating!" he cheered. He let Jasmine down and she happily ran around the apartment into her new room. She took to the whole place really quickly. Chad only chuckled and turned around to Taylor, who was standing near the doorway. Maybe now this was his chance. Maybe now he could talk to her. He slowly took a few steps towards her, and Taylor straightened in her appearance.

Chad stopped just a few feet in front of her, heir bodies not too far apart. "I don't know how to thank you Tay." He said gratefully.

"There's nothing to thank me for." She shook her head. "You really shouldn't even be thanking me for anything."

"No, I should." Chad replied. "Just last week you helped me get a job at a really nice place. I'm not mobbed by anyone with a million questions about my life there. You're paying for my entire arm thing and thanks to you, there's only a couple of bills to send them now for it. And you made me feel like losing my arm was like losing nothing. And now you've gotten us back together." The smile on his face only grew, and Taylor was now holding onto his fake hand with both of hers. They just kept getting closer and closer, and Chad was gently rubbing her arm with his other hand. "I can't believe it, we can be a family again." He leaned in to kiss her, but just before their lips met Taylor moved her head downwards to Chad ended up kissing her head. Chad blinked and looked at Taylor. "Tay what's up?" he asked.

"That's just it Chad." She said softly. She picked up her head to look at him, but refused to let their eyes meet. "We can't be a family again because we never were one."

Chad blinked. "Is this about me trying to make a move on you when you're not interested?" he asked.

"No, of course not." She replied. "What made you think I wasn't interested?"

"That ring on your finger. You said that it was someone else's." Chad said. "You're wearing it so no one can hit on you. That's why you're mad isn't it?"

"No, no nothing like that." She shook her head.

"Than what?" Chad asked, his voice filled with concern.

"The ring is yours, Chad." Taylor confessed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snooped but I did. While you were in the hospital I went back to where you were living. I found a closet in the living room and I saw everything in there. And when I saw the ring, I remember what you said in the hospital. That if the worst happened to you then you wanted me to be the one to take care of Jasmine. So I thought that if that did happen I could wear your ring again. And then if any other guy tried to make a move I could tell them I'm taken. But it was wrong and I shouldn't have done it."

Chad blinked. "Wait, so that was _my_ ring you had all along? The one from when we were...?" He gave a huge sigh of relief. "Thank god! I thought for sure that I lost it. I searched the closet when you went back to your car and I didn't see it anywhere."

"I had it all along." Taylor said softly. "But it's not mine to keep anymore. You're still here and this is where you and Jas belong."

Chad seemed puzzled. "What are you talking about? This is your apartment, I thought we were living here together. We were gonna be a family again."

"No. Don't you see?" Taylor shook her head, slowly getting out of his grip. "This isn't here I belong. This apartment was originally for me and Jasmine. But you've got her now. You two are a family again, just like it's supposed to be. And I know this place isn't perfect but it's better than where you were before. You didn't deserve that place, you needed someplace better. That place is here, Chad." With every sentence Taylor's voice was rising, but unlike when she would talk before and it would seem more stoic, there was so much more emotion in it now. "I can't live here with you guys. This apartment is yours. I'll find some other place to live. I still have my job and there's still my campaign."

"You don't belong anywhere else Tay." Chad insisted. "All you need is us. I thought you were ready to prove that you could handle this. I really thought the three of us would be together again. Why do keep insisting on pushing us away?"

"Believe me, I'm not doing it on purpose this time Chad." Taylor choked. "I'm only doing what I know is best for you and Jas. Look, I'll finish paying the bills for your operation. I'll still have my job and I'll still be earning money. You have a new job now and it's a way better pay than your old one and there's no need for disguises or anything anymore. Jasmine's room is all set up, it has everything from her old room just like we agreed. This place has furniture and a place for both of you to sleep...it's a real home Chad. Why can't you just accept it?"

"Because it's not a real home wihout you!" Chad replied.

Taylor felt taken back by his words. But she couldn't believe them. Not now. "I left everything you'll need in the top dresser drawer." she told him, letting her voice fall. She looked at her hand and slowly pulled off the ring. She held out one of Chad's hands and put it in his palm, then closed it up. "This belongs to a girl you really care about, not me. That's for someone who you trust to spend the rest of your life with. And that girl's not me, Chad. So please, just go out and find that one and only and give this to her as proof. Because it's not mine anymore." She gently pushed Chad away and nearly ran out of the room. She had already left her stuff downstairs to pick up, as in clothes and whatnot. All she needed now was to get out.

Chad tried to take a step forward as he watched her leave but it was too late. She was already gone. He slowly opened his hand and looked down at the ring. Even though it was in his right hand, Chad could somehow still feel it in his hand. The texture, the shape...everything about it and everything it stood for. Chad shook his head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't have just let her go. He turned back into the room and looked all around frantically. Taylor couldn't be gone, not now. He ran over to the hall closet and opened it up. On the floor underneath where most of his stuff was hanging, there was a plastic bag. He opened it and inside was everything of Taylor's he had kept in the first closet. The scarf, the bracelet, the pictures...everything. She couldn't be gone if he still had her things.

But Taylor had already left and was out on the streets with her luggage. She had no idea where she was going now but she knew she'd figure it out. She still had her job, so she would get a new place and some cheap furniture. The apartment would be way better for Chad and Jasmine than her. She needed a much smaller one, it's what she deserved. But in all of that commotion she hadn't even taken off the necklace. It remained dangling around her neck where Chad had left it. And even as the sun went down the jewelry didn't even give off a single shine.

* * *

Ok do you really think that's the end? C'mon, what did I say about sad endings...if I ever said anything about those? Who likes sad endings? This isn't happy...but it's not completely sad either. It's like happy because of what they accomplished, but depressing because of the walking out thing. It's uh...depressappy? Or maybe happressing? You think of a better word then. But if the story is at this kinda climax, you know the ending can't be too far! Just wait till tomorrow. And now we fade out of the scene. Fade away...fadey fade....


	17. Debate

Well the story's gonna come to an end soon, so I hope you guys are ready for it! I already know who your least favorite character must be. Trust me, I hate making characters look bad. The only bright side is that Boi has nothing to do with it. XD Really, who could put any kinda blame on an innocent puppy? So be prepared for this chapter cause it's gonna be big!

Once again I do not own HSM. But man, I sure wish I did. I wanna learn to sing like them. T_T

* * *

Chad looked at the calendar on the wall of the apartment. It was already November, but it didn't feel like only a few months passed by. It felt more like a few years again. He sighed as he looked down at his food. He was sitting at the kitchen table and Troy was over visiting while Jasmine was playing with a few toys in her room.

"You can't keep feeling down forever." Troy said as he sat down across from Chad with some food. In fact, that's the only reason he hadn't brought Jamie over to play with Jasmine yet. They wanted the entire families to be together and this wasn't the time for it.

"Dude, the only time I've seen her is when she's been promoting her campaign." Chad looked up. "It's like she wants nothing to do with me."

"You really think that?" Troy asked doubtfully.

"I don't want to." Chad admitted. "It sure seems that way."

Troy rolled his eyes. He knew how wrong Chad was. Taylor has been over at his and Gabriella's house a lot lately and sometimes he could overhear the girls talking…on accident of course. He knew how distracted Taylor had been and how much they wanted to get back together. But it was never going to happen if she kept being so stubborn and if Chad kept beating around the bush and came out with his feelings.

"So you're just gonna stay in this place for the rest of your life feeling sorry for yourself or something." Troy guessed.

"No." Chad shook his head. "I'd have to leave for work or to get food and clothes."

Troy hit his head. Man, bad time for a smart allec answer. "That's not what I mean." He replied. "Look you gotta show that woman what you're willing to go through for her. So get talking to her and admit what you're thinking before it's too late. Like before that last speech thing they have to do for the election or whatever that thing is called!"

"Kinda like a debate?" Chad raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that." Troy nodded.

Chad sighed. "I dunno man. That's in five hours. How am I gonna catch up to Tay and talk to her about all this before then, especially when I don't know where she is?"

"We'll call Gabriella and see if they're together." Troy shrugged. "I'll tell them to wait up, you go catch up with them, and get Taylor over to the side and talk to her."

"It can't be that easy." Chad shook his head.

"Then prepare to be wrong." He replied simply as he pulled out his phone.

~~~ ((A/N Hey anyone got a better idea for a page break than these squiggles? Feels like it's the same thing every time.))

"Do the words 'calm down' mean anything to you?" Gabriella sighed as she watched Taylor work nervously.

"I am calm." Taylor lied as she looked up at Gabriella. "I'm as calm as they can get. Why wouldn't I be calm, right? So I've got a debate to head to in five hours and I need to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect. There can't be any flaws or anything. I am typing up my opening and closing statements for a reason."

"So then why is this your eighth copy of both?" Gabriella asked, folding her arms.

Taylor moaned. She leaned forward to the computer and put her face in her hands. "I don't need this right now Gabriella. I need help."

"Maybe this is just a sign." Gabriella sighed, trying to be as relaxed as she could. "Do you really think you can handle possibly being governor? I mean you have been distracted a lot lately and you know your opponent's using that against you."

"Yeah well he doesn't have to do such a good job of it." Taylor muttered, moving her hands to under her chin.

"And you don't have to make such a big deal out of this whole thing. I know why you're distracted. You've been like this since you saw Chad again." Gabriella said.

"Gabriella don't start…" Too late for that.

"Your mind has been off of this whole thing for months now. I know that you're not ready for this because your head isn't in the game. Your mind's somewhere else. And that somewhere else is where it _wants_ to be." Gabriella rambled. "No, forget the fact that this is a part of your dream. Forget the fact that this has been your plan since high school. And forget about all that effort you put in at the beginning to prove that you could handle this because the truth is, you really can't. Now maybe if you never saw Chad again you'd be more focused and prepared for this and still be in a dead tie, or even slightly in the lead. But lately your mind hasn't been on the race. And it can't be on the race when you have a family to think about. And if you do think about it, if I remember most of my history correctly, most people who run for any kind of office have already started raising families and weren't just starting them at that point because then they would have been freaking out about something political in the house or something about babies in a place like the Senate."

_Ok I love Gabriella like a sister but really, does this girl ever shut up?_ Taylor thought. She wondered if Troy got something like this every time he wanted to go out and had to watch his son instead.

"Both of those jobs are practically full time responsibilities. You always have to make sure you have the state prepared when it comes to some kind of meeting or emergency, and you always have to be there for your family or you'll regret it for the rest of your life if something happened to them." Gabriella continued. She was about to keep going when Taylor stood up and stopped her.

"Don't you think I already regret it?" she nearly yelled.

Gabriella stopped in her tracks and faced Taylor. She didn't know if Taylor was more stressed or angry right now. Gabriella stayed where she was for a minute until Taylor sighed and slumped back into the chair.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap." She apologized.

Gabriella walked over to Taylor and put her hands on her shoulders. They were still best friends and Gabriella had to be there for her. "We all do it at some point." Gabriella nodded. "But if you feel so guilty then why can't you just go back?"

"I can't." Taylor shook her head. "You should see the two of them together. It's a picture perfect family moment every time and I don't belong in that photo, Gabriella. I wasn't there for anything because I was too stubborn and proud to forgive and forget when I had the chance. As much as I want to be in that picture I just can't see myself in it."

"Pride is a funny thing, Taylor. And from all the books and movies we saw when it came to someone being that proud, we both know how easily it can be their greatest downfall. But it's also because they didn't realize it soon enough." Gabriella said. "But you do realize it and you have a chance to make things better. Who said you even have to rush into anything?"

"Sorry Gabs, but I'm not following." Taylor shook her head.

"Well…" Gabriella thought for a minute. "Let's look at Sharpay and Ryan then. Sharpay rushed into almost every relationship she was in and the one that was most successful was her and Zeke because he was ready to rush into it just as much as she was. Now I don't know what's going on with either of them today but I do know that because Sharpay rushed into every other one of her relationships and demanded so much control, that's what made the unsuccessful. Now look at Ryan. He hasn't been in a lot of relationships at all. Remember when his first girlfriend broke up with him because he took things 'too slow' for her? He didn't want to rush into anything. And there we were trying to push him into a relationship but we didn't know what he was looking for in anyone."

Taylor giggled and nodded at the memory. "And then Jason got this idea that Ryan was into guys instead of girls so he tried fixing him up with his cousin. And the second Ryan found out it wasn't two guys just hanging out with each other he was so freaked out and made a mad dash out of the restaurant and under the blankets in his bedroom. Everyone was waiting with Sharpay at home to see how it went and I guess that bolt of lightning that passed by us was the answer." Man had Jason gotten scolded for that one!

Gabriella laughed. "And then the first girlfriend after that. They both wanted to take it slow so it was more successful than the first. But even when his girlfriend was ready to do something that Ryan wasn't, there was still no rushing. Ok, yeah they did break up a few weeks later, but my point is that Ryan was more successful with dating than Sharpay because he took his time."

"And here comes the part where you apply the life lesson to me." Taylor sighed.

"That's where you come in." Gabriella nodded as though she didn't hear her. "First off you need to talk to Chad. Second of all, you need to let him know that you want to take things slow. You need to learn how to be a parent before anything. Maybe living together like a family would help, or maybe that should come a little later. But you need to slowly make that adjustment before you two can start a real relationship again."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "You make it sound like Chad and I are going to get back together. Like he really wants that."

"You have no idea." Gabriella muttered.

"Come again?" Taylor asked.

"Nothing." She replied quickly.

Taylor shook her head. "You know what, I think I've troubled you enough today Gabriella." She decided. She picked up the papers she had and stood up to face her friend. "I have to type up something really meaningful for tonight. And I have to be prepared. And first thing in the morning I'm going to talk to Chad."

That's not exactly the response Gabriella was hoping for, but she guessed it was close enough. "Alright. Good luck tonight. And don't forget."

"I won't." Taylor promised. The two girls hugged and then Taylor walked out of the house. A few minutes later the phone rang and Gabriella picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey Gabs." Troy smiled from the other line. "How are you doing over there?"

"I am doing great. Jamie is in his room for a nap." Gabriella replied. "How are you and Chad doing?"

"Well…let's just say Chad's a little out of it." Troy admitted. "Please tell me Taylor's there with you."

Gabriella moaned and rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry Troy, she just left a few minutes ago." She apologized. She could hear Chad complaining in the background.

"Do you know where she went?" Troy asked hopefully. "Chad really needs to talk to her."

"I can't say that I do know. She never told me where she's been staying for the last few months." Gabriella shook her head. "But she really needs to talk to Chad, too. She says she'll do it in the morning."

"But that might be too late from now." Troy said fearfully.

"Troy what are we going to do?" Gabriella sighed, nearly letting herself collapse onto the chair.

Troy ran a hand through his hair as he bit his tongue. _Yeah, what are we going to do?_

The debate appeared pretty one-sided that night. It was only six p.m. so the sun wasn't completely down yet. But even as it had just started, Taylor was already behind her opponent. They were both using the outside entrance of the courthouse so instead of just standing at a podium and talking to make it seem boring, they could take a wireless microphone and walk around it like a stage. And at the foot of the steps leading to that entrance were large crowds listening in as well as photographers, reporters, and the works. Of course the event was also being televised so anyone who didn't want to deal with the mobs could just watch from their home. Hey remember, Albuquerque is a weird town in this story so whatever happens let's just go with it.

"Stocks are falling in New Mexico right now. And we need a plan to bring them back up or our economy will be ruined." The opponent was saying. ((A/N I know I've never really interrupted in the middle of a chapter until now, but everything that is said in his debate from here on out is all completely made up.))

"So that's why I've devised the perfect plan to fix everything." He continued. "I've taken inventory at every store as they refilled, and I've done calculations and estimations on how much the average worker is paid. So I think that if more items can be sold in a store then that means more money can go from the workers to the store. And seeing as how the government does receive some of that money every month, that will mean New Mexico will be in third place for giving the most money to support their, or the United State's, government."

Some of the crowd seemed won over by the statement. "Well that's going to be a tough argument to beat." The host said. He turned to Taylor. "So what is your response?"

Taylor was silent for a minute. She had been sitting on a chair at the side trying to listen to what was going on, but her mind kept wondering off. Whispers were heard from the crowd wondering what was going on to make her distracted.

"McKessie, your response?" the host repeated.

Oh right. Taylor almost forgot about that. She had to keep it cool, act like she was paying attention. Wait a minute, she hasn't been. Clearing her throat, she picked up her microphone and took the stage. She knew they were rebutting about the economy or something, so she was just going to go with that.

"Math has always been one of my strongest subjects. And even though the economy is more related to a history category, as it has changed so much over the years and is different from country to country, it is nothing more than a subject of math." Taylor spoke. Ok, this was sounding good. Keep it going. "For the past couple of weeks I have been trying to formulate different equations that can be used to see how to better New Mexico's economy and compare it with that in other states, or if it will affect the overall economy of the United States at all. And that's when it hit me. It can't be done. Equations have numerous methods on how to be solved. One of those methods is trial and error. But we can't risk trial and error when it comes to the economy. That's why I can't find the right equations to help us when it's needed the most. Because in math there is only one right answer. We are not experimenting with our money this way. And that's precisely my point. A governor's job is to find new solutions to any given problem, which can happen even when they're in office. And when they're out of office they are still respected and offer to give new suggestions to help the next generation of that state."

Her opponent stood up. "And what about the stock argument?" he demanded.

Now Taylor was on a roll. "Stocks, stocks, stocks. Is that all people ever worry about when it comes to the issue of money?" she replied. "Stocks are unpredictable. No blame can be put on that, no one can ever stop it. We can't tell people what stocks to invest in or anything of the sort, because no one will ever know how it will turn out."

Meanwhile, conveniently a few blocks down, Chad was watching the debate on one of the televisions screens that was on the display window of an electronics store. He had Jasmine in his arms and her head was on his. But Chad couldn't take his eyes off of the TV.

"She's doing a really great job out there. She always knew how to make a fast recovery." He said to himself. He looked at Jasmine who was tugging on his shirt collar and then pointed to the TV. And even though she didn't say anything, Chad nodded as though he knew exactly what she was asking. "Yeah." He nodded. "That's your mom up there." He turned around to see the courthouse a few blocks up, where he knew the debate was. He had to get closer, just to see. Chad took a deep breath and started approaching the crowd.

"Now I'm not going to say what to do with your own money because it's not mine, and it's not any of my business. I could give a million and one reasons why you should put your money into one thing more than another thing you think you need every day." Taylor continued. "But I can give suggestions. And do you know what I suggest? I suggest that we use that time and energy to make New Mexico a better place. Forget about investments or buying beer or even using a life savings on lottery tickets. Forget buying some snack food you're constantly addicted to and forget about feeling like you're actually burning your money or throwing it away. Those are my suggestions on what to stop. Now these are my suggestions on what to focus on, because charts will show what the majority of New Mexico's money has been going to. Food for a healthy living, and sure maybe some junk food once in a while as a reward. A place to live. Not an overly expensive place, maybe even just a quaint little house that's enough to feel comfortable in with your loved ones. Getting something special for someone on those special days or holidays. Warm clothes when your family needs them. Something special for your children when they've done well on a report card or when you just feel like they deserve them."

Oh man, where was all of this coming from? She was talking about family things now. That was a clear view that Taylor was definitely distracted. What was the matter with her? Why couldn't she just forget about it until the stinking debate was over? Why did it even have to be tonight? Why couldn't she go talk to Chad now instead?

But her opponent used this as a way to bring her down. "So now we're on the topic of families in this state are we?" he asked. "So let me bring this to the audience's attention. Why is a candidate who has talk squat about families or anything of the sort suddenly bringing up the topic now? I have been making statements about families and how important they are to all of us the entire race. But this is the first time me rival has mentioned anything of the sort. So I ask you this, is this a sign that she is just begging for last minute votes and a way to get into the lead?

"That's a serious accusation." The host stated. "What is your answer, McKessie?"

But Taylor didn't have an answer. Not when her thoughts were so clouded. She needed a way out of this. She didn't know what, but she knew she had to get out of it somehow. She was already past knee-deep in it and she had to get out badly. She looked away and out to the crowd, as though she were frantically searching for something. That's when it hit her.

Somehow, just somehow, when she looked out into the crowd she could see Chad. He was all the way in the back where he wasn't mixed in with the mob and he was holding Jasmine. They were both watching her, and they were right there. Taylor couldn't believe it. They were actually there watching the whole thing. So did they hear what she was saying? Did they know that she wasn't acting like herself? Without letting anyone say another word to her, Taylor put down her microphone and jogged off the stage…courthouse…you get the idea.

Chad blinked as he could see someone leave the area in the distance. Since he was so far away he couldn't tell who it was or what was going on. Hoping it was Taylor, he walked around the crowd to try and get to her, as she was doing. When he was around the middle of it, he gently put Jasmine down. "Stay right by my side, ok?" he asked her quietly. When he looked up he could see Taylor making her way over to them. Chad only took one step forward and held his hands out, and as soon as Taylor got close enough she took them.

"Tay what are you doing?" Chad asked. "Why did you leave the stage?"

"What about what's going on with you? What are you doing here?" Taylor asked.

"Jas and I were watching. We came over to get a better look." Chad answered. "But why aren't you sill up there talking? I thought you were making a comeback."

"I don't know what I'm doing up there anymore." She admitted. He and Chad just looked at each other as some photographers and such ran to start snapping pictures. They had no idea what was going on, but to them and the reporters this would make a great story. But neither Chad or Taylor paid any attention to them.

"Tay, we really need to talk." Chad finally said. "I know you were planning on doing that tomorrow but I really don't think it can wait that long."

"We can talk now." Taylor said.

"Here?" Chad asked, perplexed.

"We're going to be followed now no matter where we go, these people are going to want to know what's up and they're going to do whatever it takes to get a story." Taylor replied. "It's not going to make a difference, Chad. We can talk right here."

Chad didn't even wait for her to say anything else. "Then don't leave again." He nearly begged.

Taylor blinked. "What?"

"Tay it's almost been four years now. We've done this long enough. You can't walk out again. I'm asking you as whatever I am to you to please don't leave again." Chad repeated.

Taylor just stared at him, feeling like her eyes were going to well up again at any time. "Don't doubt what you are to me, Chad." She said softly. "I have gone so long thinking that you were nothing to me, that you were even dead to me. But I can't keep ignoring that now. You aren't dead to me and you're not nothing to me."

"And I know what you are to me." Chad replied. He felt them getting closer, his arms slowly going around her waist and her hands on his shoulders. "But do you know what you are to me?"

"I do know." Taylor said. "But I don't know if I can be any of those things that I am to you. When have I ever had the right to be? There is every bit of evidence against me."

"So you don't think you've proven yourself at all?" Chad asked.

Taylor shook her head and her voice became quieter. "I can't handle it, Chad. I don't think I'm ready."

Chad moved his head in closer, his forehead almost up against hers. "You can think whatever you want Tay. But you can't stop me from thinking. And I know what I'm thinking. And it's not just one of those dunderhead basketball things you always think it is." He paused and smiled, hearing Taylor giggle over that. "I need you, Tay. I can't keep doing any of this without you. I need you in my life and in Jas's life. And she's gonna need you in the future. You have to be there for her. For me. For us. And I know you've proven that you can be."

"You're forgetting that there is no us." Taylor nearly whispered.

"But I want there to be." Chad whispered. "I want us. I want us to see each other. I want us to be there when we both wake up in the morning. I want us to pick up where we left off. I want us to be together again." He looked right into her eyes and didn't look away for a second.

Taylor's eyes met with Chad's. Both were quiet for a minute, only letting the faint commotion in the background and the snapping of photos fill the silence. She had to let go of everything now. Her stubbornness, her pride, all of it. But not she understood why she had been like that all this time. "Chad," she finally said, "when you disappeared, you took so much more with you than you thought. And I want all of it back now." Now she could really feel her eyes watering. "I want everything back. I want the scarf and the bracelet. I want the memories of us. I want my daughter. I want you. And I want my heart back."

Chad put his hand on her cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "I thought someone else had your heart."

"Never anyone else." Taylor shook her head. "I love you."

That was all Chad needed to hear. He pulled Taylor in closer and kissed her passionately. She returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. They were both finally able to do what they've been wanting to longer than they realized. The cameramen only saw it as gossip for a story and took as many pictures as they could. But even in all the photos neither of them pulled away. It didn't matter that they were in public or anything, they were just together again. At least it wasn't a makeout session for the National Enquierer. But after a few minutes Taylor and Chad pulled away to catch their breath. And the second they did, there was question after question.

"Where do you go from here?"

"What does this mean about you two having a family?"

Does this mean you two are getting back together?"

As the questions were being called, the host made his way over. "Wht about the debate?" he asked. "Does this mean we have to reschedule?"

Taylor pulled away from Chad slightly and looked at the host. "No. We're not." she told him. "Because I'm quitting."

The crowd seemed shocked, but Chad only cocked his head. "Why? I thought it was your dream." he told her.

Taylor turned back to Chad. "It is." she nodded. "But you gave up your dream years ago. Now it's my turn. So I'm quitting the election. No govorner, no mayor, no president, no anything. There's something more important than all of those things."

Chad smiled because Taylor smiled, but he pulled her in for another tight hug. When the pulled away again, Taylor knelt down to Jasmine. She held out her hand for her and instead of taking it Jasmine just jumped into Taylor's arms. Tay;pr smiled and held Jasmine close to her, pecking her on the head. Chad smiled and wrapped his arms around the girls.

"But the debate..." the host started. He sighed and tossed his microphone behind him. "Oh forget it."

Chad and Taylor chuckled. They kissed once more as more pictures were taken. Chad smiled as he looked at Taylor. "Let's go home."

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Well it took them long enough! Man at the rate C&T go in every story you'd think it'd take them almost a million years before they actually get together. Anyway, I want to say thanks from the reviews the story got. There's bound to be parts in the story that aren't liked but it means that people are reading the story and opinions are always good. ^^ So does this mean this is the last chapter or is there one more to come? Hm, I wonder now.... 0=3


	18. Epilogue

Ok, this is it. I swear, this is the last chapter! See, stories do have a happy ending. Well, this was kinda a random ending but i really thought the story could use an epilogue. What, don't you wanna know how things turn out in the long run? Anyway I wanna say thanks for all the reviews. So thanks Rose of Hope, Always-Here-Imani, Melako17, Corbin's Wifey, ObscureHeatache, and...man, I really hope I got everyone. x_x I fail that way. Anyway, I'll be sure to put up more stories soon! Don't worry, for those of you who don't wanna see T&G all the time, most of them will be C&T.

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Chad twitched in his sleep slightly. Normally he was a heavy sleeper but he could tell that something was just a little off. But maybe it wasn't that big of a deal. Not like the house was burning down or anything.

Taylor on the other hand, seemed a bit more uneasy as she slept. Sure she had Chad right by her side and she could feel his arms around her waist but even that didn't calm her down. She knew something was wrong. In the back of her mind she could just hear something crying.

"Dad, Mom." A sleepy girl's voice said from the doorway. "Wake up."

Taylor slowly opened one eye, only to yawn and open her other one. She slowly stretched up and Chad, feeling her move had the need to get up now as well. They turned to see ten year old Jasmine at their bedroom doorway looking very tired and they could easily hear a loud crying in the background now.

"What is it Jas?" Taylor asked, even though it seemed pretty obvious. It was one a.m. and in the household a lack of sleep could easily throw anyone's guard off.

"Baby's awake again. He's crying and everything." Jasmine replied.

Chad sighed. "Man, he cries more than you did when you were his age." He told Jasmine. He started getting out of his bed. "I'll go get him."

Taylor quickly put a hand on his shoulder. "No, you stay. I'll get him." She replied. She put her robe on over her night clothes as she sat up in bed and then stood up. "Jasmine, go back to sleep ok honey? It'll be quiet again before you know it."

"Ok Mom." Jasmine nodded as she retreated back to her room.

"Tay you do this every time." Chad yawned once it was the two of them again. "Every time he wakes up you have to get him. When is it my turn?"

Taylor smiled playfully. She lifted his chin up to her, since he was still sort of lying in bed, and looked at him. "It'll be your turn when you can turn back time and let me do this when Jasmine was a baby." She said simply before pecking him on the lips. "I'll be right back."

She tied the robe a little tighter around her waist, feeling the knot she made slip a little. Taylor walked into the room down the hall where the baby was sleeping. Yes, after seven years have passed now and they were finally able to get their own house. Smaller than Troy's and Gabriella's, but a nice house overall. Chad has been doing fine with his right arm, even if he never went back to sports. Instead Chad was able to work at a local restaurant. He was a waiter and occasionally able to entertain customers on open mike night. Again, not his dream job, but he was able to get through it, and at least it wasn't something he had to force himself to get to every day. Taylor maintained her job as a secretary but was able to make it a full-time job. She always tried to have a hand in politics when it came to suggesting ideas or possibly attending meetings, but never went back to the political world itself. Jasmine was in third grade and was growing up with Jamie, just as planned. But when it came to a new baby in the house, Taylor was so stubborn with it. Sure, she let Chad do some of the work once in a while, but she insisted on doing almost everything.

Taylor stepped into the baby's room and went over to the crib. "Come on, do you have to do this every night?" she whispered with a sigh. But the crying only continued. "Ssshhh, you woke up your sister and father. You have to keep it down." She tried again, raising her voice a bit more. But still the crying kept going. Taylor rolled her eyes and spoke in a more normal, yet scolding voice. "Collin Bradley Danforth, lower your voice." The baby instantly looked up at her with side eyes, even though the crying ceased. Ok, so maybe once in a while Taylor let her temper get the better of her.

She sighed and gently picked Collin up. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to yell." She said quietly as she held him in her arms. "I'm just a little annoyed that you've woken all of us up every night for the past week." A few whimpers came from Collin, but Taylor playfully tickled his belly. Collin started giggling and tried getting out of her grip. He was pretty sneaky for not even being a year old yet. "That's all you needed, wasn't it?" she asked calmly. "Just a little tickling and a good talking to. Do you need a bottle too?"

Collin giggled and grabbed Taylor's finger. Taylor smiled and shook her head. "Ok, just a little warm milk." She agreed. At least it was quiet now. She went downstairs and made a little milk and then brought it back upstairs for Collin. She sat down with him and her lap and fed it to him. Even as she did everything Chad couldn't resist standing in the doorway to watch. He could even hear Taylor sing quietly to Collin.

She gently placed Collin back in his crib and ran her hand through the little hair he had. It was just as curly as Chad's was. She shook her head and tucked him in, then went back to her room.

Chad smirked as he saw Taylor come back in. "So when is it my turn to sing him to sleep?" he teased.

Taylor rolled her eyes and took off her robe before getting back in bed. "Were you spying on me again?" she asked. "I told you, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of Collin."

"Man, you really are stubborn alright." Chad chuckled. "Who's had to change most of the diapers?"

Taylor nudged him. "Hey you had past experience with that before Jas. You're the one who had to help your mother with two younger siblings, not me."

"Well sorry Tay Tay, but I wasn't privileged with being the youngest in my family." Chad replied, nudging her back.

"Then you'll never know what you're missing out on. Aside from being treated like the baby it was perfect." Taylor rubbed it in. "But I'm not a baby anymore am I?"

"Actually you still are." Chad grinned, slipping his arm around her. "You're my baby." He finished before kissing her.

Taylor kissed him back, then pulled away giggling. "Well your baby just had to put our baby to sleep. So how about we get back to sleep too?"

"Taylor McKessie-Danforth, are you actually trying to boss me around?" Chad asked, insulted.

Taylor smirked. "I think I actually have permission to." She replied, flashing the ring on her finger. "Remember who wears the pants in this family."

"Haha, very funny." Chad said sarcastically. "Can you try running that by me again without discriminating me?"

Taylor smiled and shook her head. "Ok, I'm sorry." She apologized sweetly. "You know I'm just teasing you. Now _that's_ my job." She pecked him on the cheek and scooted under the blankets. "Why would I even think twice about discriminating you?"

"Hey, I'm the one with an arm and a half here." Chad whined.

"So how come you've never made a big deal out of it?" she asked.

Chad shrugged as he got next to Taylor and held her close to him, her back up against his chest and his head just over hers on the pillow. "It did feel weird at first, but if you weren't there I never would've been ready to get it." he answered. "Guess maybe when I actually thought about it, it was a sign. That it was time to start a new life."

"You thinking?" Taylor joked. "Good one Chad."

"Well I did." Chad replied defensively after letting out a chuckle. "But it happened, didn't it?"

"Yeah." Taylor nodded with a smile. She turned to face him so their faces were only inches apart. "And I'm glad it did."

Chad smiled back. He kissed Taylor once more, holding her tight around the waist. She kissed him back, her hands on his shoulders. "Just promise you're not gonna leave again." Chad whispered once he broke the kiss.

"Only if you promise not to let me go." Taylor agreed.

"I promise." Chad smiled. He put his head on top of hers, and Taylor snuggled closer so she was up against his neck. She held onto him as though they would never pull apart. "I'm gonna hold you tight Tay," he whispered even after she was asleep, "and never let you go."

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The End ((Yup, shortest A/N ever))


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